Even as the political parties are making tall promises in the run up to the Assembly elections scheduled for February 4, the basic issues hurting the shack trade is yet to to be unattended. While an extreme delay in the issuance of shack license is a major hindrance in starting the business every tourist season, inflated fees imposed by the tourism department is another concern. 

The 2017 polls will be crucial for the candidates representing the coastal belt as the shack operators, already reeling under demonetisation impact, are demanding a permanent solution to their long pending issues. 

“Delay in granting operational license is an annual affair and to add to our woes is tourism department's exorbitant hike in fees. It has jumped 400 times in the recent past wherein license fee itself comes to around Rs 55,000. Another Rs 30, 000 is the security deposit and other taxes totals up to Rs 1.30 to Rs 1.60 lakh... . Annual fees to Food & Drugs Administration, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Excise, Panchayats and other concerned agencies touches the overall expenditure to around Rs 3 lakh,” rued owner of Seaface Shack at the popular Calangute belt, Manuel Cardozo. 

The traditional shack operator was supported by Michael Fernandes, owner of Bob Shack at Colva claiming that payments to government agencies are more than their earning. “By the time we get the shack license, half the season ends despite this the tourism department charges a whopping fee. What are we supposed to earn and feed our family,” he asked. “Besides paying huge fees, we also spend a large amount of money in setting up the temporary shack.”

Loss in business during the crucial period of tourism season is just not the only problem. State government’s ambitious beach cleaning mission has turned out to be failure atleast in certain portions of Calangute. Cardozo alleged that garbage lying around his shack has not been collected for nearly two months.

The government's unfulfilled promise of single window system will be another reminder by the shack operators to the BJP during its canvassing phase. A comprehensive master plan taking into confidence all the stakeholders in the tourism industry is another unfulfilled assurance. 

“We get license by November-end or December when the season almost comes to an end. Taking approval from one department consumes a lot of time so one can imagine how much time is wasted approaching every department for NOC. Why can’t the process begin early? Why can’t there be a single window system to process our applications?” Fernandes said.  

President of Shack Owners Welfare Society Cruz Cardozo too echoes the views. “The government is playing games with us in order to benefit the hoteliers. We want a proper long term shack policy... The licenses should be issued by September so that we can begin setting up the shack to start business at the very onset of tourism season,” he demanded. Running his shack business at Cavelossim beach, he expects that infrastructural development should spread to south Goa as well.

“We can’t expect to run in losses every year and paying full amount as fees to the government,” another shack operator Jose Noronha said. 

The private shack operators are too embroiled in a similar problem even as their policy is far different than beach shacks. A separate policy for the private shacks remains a distant dream with President of All Goa Private Shack Owners Society Dharmesh Saglani insisting for a five year plan. Speaking on behalf of other private operators as well, Saglani also sought issuance of license in the beginning of September.