MAPUSA
A proposal by NITI Aayog to simplify Goa's homestay registration process by doing away with the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from village panchayats and municipalities has drawn strong opposition from coastal panchayats, which contend that such a move would weaken local governance, deprive panchayats of revenue and reduce their ability to regulate commercial tourism activities.
The proposal, aimed at reducing procedural hurdles and promoting ease of doing business, recommends that homestay operators should no longer be required to obtain an NOC from local bodies before registration.
However, representatives of several coastal panchayats unanimously rejected the suggestion, arguing that panchayats play a crucial role in providing civic services, resolving local issues and ensuring that tourism-related businesses remain accountable to the community.
"The decision is bad for the village. It is a totally wrong move. If something goes wrong at a homestay, the local panchayat member has to rush and resolve the issue. We also provide several services such as garbage collection and other civic facilities," said Sandesh Hadfadkar, Deputy Sarpanch of the Siolim-Marna Village Panchayat.
Candolim Sarpanch Blaize Fernandes echoed similar concerns, saying that exempting homestays from obtaining panchayat permission would undermine the authority of local self-governing bodies.
"It will be a completely unreasonable decision to keep homestays out of the panchayat NOC system. The panchayat provides a host of services to these establishments, especially garbage collection and sanitation. According to me, homestays must continue to obtain permission from the panchayat," Fernandes said.
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira also opposed the proposal, saying that the move would not only result in a loss of revenue for local bodies but also deny villagers any meaningful benefit from commercial tourism activities.
"It is an absolutely wrong decision. First of all, the panchayats will lose revenue, while villagers will not benefit in any way from these business enterprises. The government may simplify procedures for people constructing houses for their own residence, but commercial establishments should continue to obtain all necessary permissions," Sequeira said.
A representative from another coastal panchayat said the proposal overlooked the role played by local bodies in monitoring tourism-related activities and addressing complaints from residents.
"Homestays may be small establishments, but they are still commercial ventures. Panchayats are the first point of contact whenever complaints arise over waste management, parking, nuisance or other civic issues," the representative said.
Several panchayat representatives also argued that while they were not opposed to reforms aimed at reducing bureaucratic delays, the solution lay in making the approval process faster and more transparent rather than removing local bodies from the regulatory framework.
