APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
- 1023
SHACKS ALLOCATED
- 349
IN NORTH GOA
- 257
IN SOUTH GOA
- 92
DEMARCATION
- Next week
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FEES HIKED
* Rs 55,000 for a ‘A’ type shack in the first year of the policy
* For the following years it will be Rs 60,000 and Rs 65,000
* ‘B’ type shacks will have to pay a yearly fee starting with ₹40,000
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The Goa cabinet which met on Friday granted its seal of approval to the beach shack policy resisting pressure from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to reduce the number of beach shacks along the Calangute Candolim beach belt.
Addressing the press after the meeting, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the policy approved for the years 2016-2019 is a ‘replica’ of the policy for the previous three years ‘2013-16’.
“It is a replica for the policy for the previous three years. The only difference is that on the GCZMA’s insistence three shacks at Palolem have not been allowed,” Parsekar said.
Referring to the Candolim-Calangute beach belt, Parsekar said that the “GCZMA was pressing for the reduction in the number of beach shacks along the Calangute and Candolim beach belt.”
“On the request of the government the number has been kept the same for one year. Next year it can be reviewed,” Chief Minister Parsekar said.
Besides this the government has also hiked the fees. For the first year of the policy the fees for a ‘A’ type shack will be ₹55,000 while for the following years it will be ₹60,000 and ₹65,000.
‘B’ type shacks will have to pay a yearly fee starting with ₹40,000 and similarly increasing by ₹5,000 each year.
In 2013, the yearly fee was ₹45,000 for an A-type shack and ₹30,000 for a B-type shack and has increased ₹5,000 each year.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has completed the draw of lots for both the stretches of North Goa and South Goa shacks.
Speaking to The Goan, Director of Tourism Sanjeev Gauns Desai said that a total of 349 shacks had been allocated over the course of the day.
“257 shacks have been allocated in the North and 92 in South Goa. The demarcation will begin next week after which the shack owners can set up their shacks,” he said.
The Tourism Department had received 1023 shack applications 841 in North Goa and 182 in South Goa. The Tourism Department has tentatively identified beach stretches for setting up shacks with 259 shacks in North Goa and 108 shacks in South Goa.
Speaking to the Goa Cruz Cardozo the chairman of the All Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society said that the process went smoothly and that while some shack owners had to return home disappointed as they weren’t lucky in the draw of lots by and large the operation was conducted in a transparent manner.
“The draw of lots went well. About 10% of the shack owners were unlucky but the system went well,” he said even as he expressed the hope that the demarcations will be done as early as possible.
