PANAJI
Following two murders on the beaches involving employees of shacks, the State government has decided to ensure each shack staff is provided with ID cards with QR codes apart from making police verification of such staffers mandatory along with those employed to operate adventure sports activities in the State.
The government is also contemplating restricting the number of beach beds to 150-200 altogether across the coastal belts of North and South, apart from maintaining uniform rates for water sports activities.
The Chief Secretary is set to chair a high level meeting on Thursday to discuss interdepartmental issues faced by the tourism industry.
During the meeting, directions would be issued to the police to mandatorily conduct police verification of shack staff and adventure sports personnel during each tourism season.
The meeting will see deliberation on demarcating swimming zones along the coastal belt, specific area for sun bathing and 150-200 beach beds.
The move comes at the backdrop of two murders including a tourist from Andhra Pradesh.
On January 26, a local businessman Amar Bandekar was killed at a shack at Arambol following an altercation with shack staff over deck beds and tables. Three people were arrested in the case.
On New Year’s eve, a Andhra tourist was killed after being brutally assaulted by the shack staff after a dispute over bill.
Directions will also be issued to enhance beach safety protocols and action against illegal shack operations including subletting.
