Tourism minister wants to control pub culture

Pub culture will not be promoted and must be controlled because it often leads to "unwanted things", Union Minister of State for Tourism (independent charge) Shripad Naik said Saturday.

Naik was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a tourism-related event on the outskirts of Panaji.

"Pub culture will not be promoted," Naik said, when asked to comment on a controversy last week after a Goa cabinet minister demanded a ban on mini-skirts, saying revealing clothes and pub-culture were against Indian traditions.

Naik also said that "pubbing must be controlled" because it leads to "unwanted things".

Naik, however, shied away from questions about the proliferation of the casino industry in Goa, claiming it was a "state subject" and that the chief minister would be the right person to answer the query.

Goa is one of the most popular beach tourism destinations in India and is known for its nightlife as well as its pubs and clubs spread out in coastal areas. - IANS