TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: The State government is likely to review its recent tourism policy by reducing various fees of tourism stakeholders in private property, following demands from the All Goa Private Property Shacks and Huts Owners Association (AGPPSHOW).
The tourism department is reportedly in favour of reducing different fees pertaining to tourism stakeholders in private property.
If the AGPPSHOW is to be believed, the Tourism department has assured to move a file to Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, when he returns from his overseas tour, possibly by next week.
“If need be, the tourism minister in consultation with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, will arrive at a final decision, assuring us to meet our demands by reducing the fees by next week,” said AGPPSHOW ad-hoc committee secretary Pankaj Dessai.
Claiming that the fees are too hefty and were unaffordable, the AGPPSHOW had set a deadline of November 10 for the government to reduce various fees proposed in the new tourism policy, failing which the association had threatened to approach the court to get their grievances redressed.
“After airing our grievances, the director of tourism invited us and discussed our demands, before assuring to reduce various fees as soon as possible. The department has already forwarded the file to the tourism minister,” Dessai told Herald.
“As the minister is out of the country, he can only finalize the issue on his return next week, in consultation with the chief minister,” Dessai added.
It may be recalled that at a press conference last week, AGPPSHOW ad-hoc committee president Dharmesh Sanglani had put forth various grievances of private property shacks and huts owners in tourism businesses and had demanded the grant of permits for a term of 3-5 years.
Stating that there are over 375 private shacks and huts owners throughout the State, Sanglani said the problem is more acute in Canacona, as 176 owners are from Canacona alone.
According to AGPPSHOW, the government in its latest tourism policy had drastically increased the fees per hut from Rs 150 to Rs 3,000 (non-AC) and Rs 5,000 (AC), with an equal amount of deposits towards each hut.
He informed that the shack fees in private property were also enhanced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, ignoring the fact that private shacks had been set up in private property.
