Team Herald
MARGAO: The shack owners of Goa are hopeful that the State government will give them a Diwali gift and deliver on the assurances given to them about considering reducing the fees they have to pay for operating shacks for this year’s season.
They plan to meet the Director of Tourism post Diwali in case there is no action from the Sawant-led BJP government.
It may be recalled that a delegation of shack owners had held a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and had appealed that the Tourism Department reduce the overall fee amount.
According to Cruz Cardozo, president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society, they were asked to pay a 10 per cent increase in the fees, which also meant an increase in taxes, GST and other fees.
Besides that, the shack owners were being charged an additional fee for garbage tax and that was a 150 per cent increase in the charges for beach beds.
The shack owners had also complained that they have to pay a high amount to other government departments such as Excise and Electricity Department.
Some of them lamented that they did not have the money to pay the overall fees and that the shack policy was aimed at helping those who are not from great financial backgrounds and thus providing them with means of earning an income during the season, which is not all-year round.
A section of shack owners has not paid the licence fees with the hope that the Chief Minister will reduce the fees. While the deadline for paying the fees ends on November 4, they do not get a provisional licence to set up their shacks until they pay the fees.
While 50 per cent of the shack owners have put up their shacks and have paid the fees, they are hopeful of getting reimbursed once the government reduces the fees as promised.
