CALANGUTE: Anxiety writ large on the faces of the affected shack operators, a day after the demolition squad of tourism department razed two controversial shacks at Candolim coast and reduced many deck beds along the coast on Tuesday evening.
One shack operator was visibly upset following the demolition, but kept a close watch on her dismantled belongings, including chairs, tables, mattresses, etc, which were stacked at a nearby shack. Wooden poles of the shack were cut with choppers to bring down the shack.
Some foreigners at the site sympathized with the owner and were upset with the authorities for having brought down the shack during the peak season.
Speaking to Herald, the shack operators, who did not wish to be named for fear of being victimised, said the demolition by the tourism department officials was nothing but harassment, despite an assurance by former chief minister and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during the Lok Sabha polls.
“I have been carrying out shack business at the same place since 1999 by obtaining permissions from the Candolim Panchayat. I have been surviving on the shack business over the years and nobody ever touched my shack,” said one shack operator.
“But on Tuesday, the officials of tourism department led by Tamoskar demolished my shack without giving time or notice. Our shack was uprooted, while chairs and tables were hurriedly removed from the shack. Many things were damaged in the process, causing considerable loss to us.”
“We are Goans, we have been doing legal business, but the action by the officials of tourism department makes us believe that we have no right to do business in our own land. Outsiders are making money on tourism, while we Goans cannot,” he said.
Another shack owner said: “When Parrikar visited Candolim beach during Lok Sabha 2014 polls, he had assured the shack owners that we need not pay fees for deck beds due to lack of good business. However, the Goa Tourism officials were not ready to listen to anything and just went on damaging the deck beds, causing considerable loss to us.”
A third shack operator said they had supported BJP hoping that their grievances would be addressed to their satisfaction.
“But today, the reality is just the opposite and we are being made to run from pillar to post for anything and everything,” said the third shack operator.
Meanwhile, the demolished shack remained at the Candolim beach till Wednesday evening, as the aggrieved operator refused to remove the structure.
