Goa Legislative Assembly today passed the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at curbing nuisance and illegal activities at tourist spots across the state. The amended law significantly expands the definition of “nuisance” to include acts such as unauthorized boating, touting, pestering tourists, open cooking, littering, unauthorized hawking, and operating vehicles on beaches, among others. It also introduces stricter enforcement by raising the penalty for violations from the previous ₹5,000–₹50,000 range to a fine of ₹5,000 up to ₹1,00,000, along with additional liability under the BNS, 2023. A new provision has also been added, mandating a review of fines every two years, with a possible increase of up to 10% to maintain the deterrent value of penalties.
