Team Herald

MARGAO: In a process that took nearly the whole day, Tourism Department on Wednesday allotted 103 shacks at 21 different locations along the beaches in South Goa. 

While at most places they had to resort to the lot system to decide who gets the shack as there were 190 applications, at some places there was no application at all.

Not a single application was received to put up two shacks at the Bogmalo and Velsao beaches where no shacks will be put up this year. Similarly, at Palolem and Zalor beaches, only three applications were received for four shacks to be erected hence these two beaches will have only three shacks, disclosed Assistant Director Dhiraj Vagle.

The entire exercise was conducted by Deputy Director Rajesh Kale along with Dhiraj Vagle and there were some interesting twists and turns during the allocation of shacks which will be valid for three years from now.

All Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society President Cruz Cardoso who had applied for a shack at Mobor Cavelossim beach was placed at the second position on the waitlist and did not get a shack in his name.

At Colva, where seven shacks were to be allotted to experienced shack owners, there were 14 applicants and they wanted to settle the matter amicably amongst themselves with seven willing to withdraw.

However, the officials did not allow that and pointed out that they should have made an individual application to the department earlier expressing their desire to withdraw and hence went ahead with the allotment.

Sixty-one people with less experience applied to put up shacks at 11 places namely at Cavelossim-Mobor, Cavelossim-Khandivado, FatradeoVarca, Benaulim, Sernabatim, Colva, Thonvado Betalbatim, Ghonsua Betalbatim, Majorda, Utorda and Arossim.

While two persons with two years of experience applied to put up shacks at Khandiwado in Cavelossim, five applicants had only one year’s experience and they had applied for two at Khandiwado in Cavelossim and one each at Betalbatim and Utorda. The remaining 55 applicants had no experience at all.

The entire process of allotment of shacks was observed by representative of Traditional Shack Owners Association of Goa and All Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society.