PANAJI
Fatorda legislator Vijai Sardesai has threatened to launch a 'people's movement' if the State government allows the setting up of "model shacks" alleging the proposed project is to facilitate non-Goans to enter the business at the expense of Goan seasonal shacks.
During discussions on demands for grants for the Tourism Department on Tuesday, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the details of the model shack policy stating it has not been made public.
"The Model Shack policy has not been disclosed to anybody, particularly Goan shack owners. I want to make one thing clear to the government, if it plans to bring outsiders to operate at the cost of Goan shack owners, then we won't allow it. We will physically oppose this and initiate a people's movement," he said.
The legislator stated that while the local shack owners will have to dismantle their structures every season, this proposed policy could cost their livelihood.
Earlier, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte reassured that the upcoming project will not displace traditional beach shack operators with non-Goan entities. This matter was also brought up during the previous assembly session, and the minister clarified that no such policy is currently in place.
Sardesai further accused Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) of being involved in a major scam and claimed that the government is using this institution to open the doors for private companies to take over State projects.
"GEL has turned into a big scam because the government is using it to manipulate tender processes. There is no public accountability, and that's why it is resorting to all these tactics. I challenge the government to privatize GEL," he said.
He also alleged that GEL has been imposing exorbitant fees for various online services.
