PANAJI
The tourism season started earlier this month, but the main attraction of the coastal belt, the shacks, has not been allotted due to delays and confusion.
After allegations of non-coordination regarding the shack policy, the ‘ambassadors’ have once again sought Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s intervention, this time, over the abrupt reduction of shacks on Ozran beach and changing the wards of some shacks on the Calangute and Candolim beaches.
A delegation met the CM on Monday, alleging that a tourism official in the Paryatan Bhavan has been the main cause of the ongoing confusion.
“CM has assured to call for a meeting of all the officials and shack operators, on Wednesday. We are hopeful that just like the policy issue was resolved, this too will be sorted,” President of the Shack Owners Welfare Society Cruz Cardozo said after the meeting.
The stakeholders also asserted that while Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has ‘good plans,’ there have been departmental mistakes.
“First, it was the policy, then the changes to the wards on the two main beaches, and the reduction of shacks from eight to three on Ozran beach,” lamented Cardozo while urging the government to ensure speedy disposal of the matter given that the season has already begun.
The Society has however confirmed that the number of shacks on Calangute and Candolim remains the same at 196 (128 on Calangute beach alone), as the problem is on the change in wards.
The delay in notification over allotment has also caused a delayed start to the business for the shack operators.
