Panaji: The North Goa District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission ordered a tour operator from Taleigao, to refund booking amount of Rs 9.8 lakh to 15 people, for failing to conduct a pilgrimage tour of the Holy Land, and pay Rs 15,000 as the litigation cost. According to the complainants, a 12-day tour was to start on April 23, 2023, that included a visit to Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Egypt, with each having to pay Rs 1.1 lakh.President of the commission, Bela Naik, and members Auroliano de Oliveira and Rejitha Rajan observed that the tour operators, Robin Rodrigues and Jerson Martins, deliberately withheld money paid by Ezilda Sapeco and 14 others.“Rodrigues and Martins caused Sapeco and others, most of whom are senior citizens, mental stress,” said the commission in its order delivered on the complaint filed by Sapeco and 14 others in Nov 2022, against Rodrigues, a proprietor of Flamingo Holidays Worldwide, and Martins, for cancelling the tour and not returning the booking amount.The travellers paid Rs 5,000 each to Rodrigues as the booking amount, but they were told that the tour rate was hiked to Rs 1.2 lakh per head. Each had to pay a minimum of Rs 60,000 to book tickets, visa processing fees and cover other travel expenses, collectively paying Rs 9.8 lakh to the tour operator.But Rodrigues did not initiate the visa process, nor did he finalise travel arrangements. Instead, Rodrigues requested them to allow the tour to be postponed.Later, he assigned Martins, another tour operator, to handle their travel arrangements. The tour was rescheduled to Sep 2023, but there was still no progress, and the tour was finally cancelled.The complainants sought a refund, but no response was received from either Rodrigues or Martins, compelling them to approach the consumer commission.
