MARGAO
The work on erection of beach shacks have finally commenced along Salcete coastal belt even as the tourism department on Monday issued an official order, granting 50 per cent reduction/waiver in fees for renewal of beach shacks and placement of deck beds to the shack allottees for the current tourism season 2020-21.
President of the Shack Owners Welfare Society, Cruz Cardozo has thanked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, Port Minister Michael Lobo, besides Tourism Director for accepting the demands of the shack owners for 50 per cent waiver of the renewal fees.
In an order, Dy Director of Tourism Rajesh Kale has requested the president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society to convey the decision to all the shack allottees under the Tourism Shack policy 2019-22 in order to enable them to complete the formalities for the renewal of shack licences.
In another development, the South Goa Tourism office has completed the exercise of demarcation of the South Goa beach belt to pave way for the shack owners to erect the shacks.
Cardozo informed that the tourism officials from South Goa has completed the task of demarcating the beach belt in South Goa.
Shack owners from South Goa had last week expressed their strong reservations over the delay by the South Goa tourism officials to conduct the demarcation exercise. In fact, the shack owners had warned that they would be forced to descend on the South office of the Tourism department if there’s any further delay in the completing the exercise.
“We are happy that the tourism department has finally completed the demarcation exercise. Some of the shack owners have started erecting the beach shacks along the Salcete coastline on Monday”, Cardozo said, while sounding optimistic that the beach shacks will help give a boost to tourism in the new season.
“Beach shacks play an important role in Goa’s tourism. We have received a host of inquiries from our customers, both domestic and foreign over the starting of the beach shacks and tourism. We are happy that the government has listened to our plea for 50 per cent reduction in the fee for renewal of shack licenses”, he said, while thanking the Chief Minister, Tourism Minister, Port Minster and the Director of Tourism for the gesture.
