TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Allotment of shacks for South Goa was completed Wednesday with a total of 105 shacks allocated through draw of lots. While the process was carried out smoothly, a protest was launched by applicants from Betalbatim over reduction of two allotments in the 90 per cent quota and its inclusion in the 10 per cent quota.
Nevertheless, the tourism department continued the allotment process stating that overall there was no reduction in the number of shacks.
“Some adjustments had to be made due to clubbing of certain stretches of the beach belt as directed by the High Court,” said a senior tourism department official.
Sources say that the court directed some changes in the allotment (through clubbing of beach stretches) so as to include more applicants in the 10 per cent reservation quota for those with less than three years experience and new comers.
“Now that the allotment process is over we will start the demarcations within the next two days,” said this senior official.
Allotment for shacks at Palolem beach have been kept on hold. Department officials say that the beach stretch has to be inspected and depending on the availability of space the tourism department would approach the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for approvals to allot shacks at Palolem.
“The shack operators can then choose the agency from whom they want to purchase the mobile toilets,” said this official adding that the responsibility of maintenance of the toilets would be vested on the service provider and shacks operators will have to pay for the services.
Likewise shack operators have also been directed to install CCTVs, as mandated by shack policy.
The tourism department Wednesday also said that the next task is to ensure thorough implementation of the policy.
The department is finalising an agency for the beach cleaning and safety and four agencies have put in tenders for the lifeguard services.
The tourism department is also in the process of empanelling service providers for installing chemical toilets as mandated by Shack Policy 2013-16.
