The Goa government on Monday introduced an amendment Bill in the State Legislative Assembly seeking to amend the Goa Public Health Act, 1985, which among others, seeks to penalise those running massage parlours and spas without registration with a penalty of Rs. 20,000.
The Bill seeks to make registration of every masseur/therapist working in parlours and spas mandatory.
The amendment Bill also authorises health officials to inspect parlours and empowers the government to close down those functioning in contravention of various rules framed.
The amendments are introduced following repeated demands from various organisations working to tackle growing menace of sexual trafficking and flesh trade in the guise of massage parlours in the State.