Wardens to keep vigil on Goa beaches

Panaji: Tourist wardens and police have been asked to keep a watch on foreigners accompanied by children on Goa's beaches to curb paedophilia, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said on Wednesday.

Parulekar told the assembly that 10 tourist wardens, several of whom are former soldiers, have been instructed to keep a vigil on drug users too.

He one of the key responsibilities of the wardens was "to keep an eye on foreigners moving with children on the beaches to prevent paedophilia activities".

Goa attracts nearly three million tourists every year.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Goa's beaches became infamous because of paedophiles. Around the same time, one of the biggest paedophilia ring was busted in Goa. It involved Europeans of various nationalities.

The wardens have also been tasked with assisting the police on matters related to "collecting information of drugs, paedophilia, terrorists and other subversive activities".