PANAJI
The State Cabinet on Friday approved two economically crucial policies, the first for handling mineral ore dumps, including auctioning them, and the second to deal with the allotment of beach shacks for the next three tourist seasons.
"Both the 'mining dump policy' and the 'beach shack policy 2023-26' have been approved by the Cabinet," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told media at the post-Cabinet press conference in the presence of PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral.
Reserving 10 per cent of the shacks for "local youth" wanting to enter the business, is perhaps the only major change from the previous policy. Also only those between the age of 18 and 60 years will be eligible to apply for allotment of these 10 per cent shacks reserved for first-timers.
Also, the policy said, there will be no shacks allotted on the Keri beach in North Goa which is affected by sea erosion, as work related to anti-erosion measures will be taken up by the Water Resources Department (WRD) from September this year until the monsoon next year.
Sawant said, the balance 90 percent of the shacks will be allotted to the 'experienced' traditional shack operators who have been in the business for several years.
The Policy also speaks of “Digital Coast” where shack allottees will be provided POS machines. The new policy also has provision for picket fencing and scientific disposal of sewage waste including black & grey water with the help of concerned local Panchayat Raj Institutions and urban local bodies.
Beach shack businesses in the State are suspected to be actually run by foreigners and outsiders after local allottees illegally sub-let them. The Tourism Department is currently proceeding against some such cases it has discovered through a quasi-judicial process.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had indicated recently that steps would be taken to ensure that this traditional tourist trade remains in the hands of locals.
Meanwhile, the iron-ore dump policy provides for auctioning the dumps, which was initially proposed in 2013 but could not be implemented due to the legal tangle that Goa's mining sector was stuck with in the courts.
The policy also mandates the Directorate of Geology and Mines to conduct a profile study of each dump in the inventory maintained by the State government before being auctioned.
In other decisions, the Cabinet granted post-facto approval for a Rs 63-crore one-time payment to M/s Wellness Pharmacy which is operating the pharmacy at the Goa Medical College and Hospital. The Cabinet also approved the project management consultancy contract awarded to Darshaw & Co for the Kunbi handloom village project in Sanguem.
