Murders, sinister stories of a foreign land mafia, local cops getting busted for peddling drugs, rape of children... Goa was a fit case for the caption, 'Paradise Lost'.

But good news has started trickling in with the Rs 200 crore central package and steps to strengthen tourist safety.

MiD DAY meets the man who could change that unfortunate caption to 'Paradise Regained'. Excepts from a recent interview with the 56-year-old chief minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat:

For the first time Goa has got Rs 200 crore from the Centre. Do you have a clear, specific plan on how to spend it?
We had requested the Centre to give us a golden jubilee package. We thought the Centre should give a signal to the people of Goa that it thinks about Goa. Goans feel the Centre neglects the state because it is small, literacy is high and we are seen as more developed than other states. We had asked for Rs 1,400 crore. Finance minister has given us Rs 200 crore for the beach cleanliness, beach safety, green cover etc. We will put up a committee to see that the money is spent judiciously.