TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The deadlock over the Shack Policy 2013-16 continues as the two shack associations remained divided over the allotment process and government deferred the decision on the formula for allocation of shacks to next week.
The government was scheduled to sort out the issue Friday, but lack of consensus among the Shack Owners Welfare Society headed by Cruz Cardozo and the Goa Traditional Shack Operators Association headed by Manuel Cardozo led to deferring of the decision.
Cruz said, “We fully back the present shack policy and the categorization for allotment based on experience as it protects the interests of all shack operators who are traditional and experienced.”
Whereas Manuel Cardozo said, “The categorisation for allotments in the present shack policy benefits only a few.”
Cardozo said that the traditional shack operators association had gone to court over the categorization criteria in 2009 and added that they failed to understand why the same categories have been re-introduced in the shack policy. He said that the association strongly insists on a change in the allotment process based on 90 per cent allotment for experienced operators and 10 per cent for new comers. Friday’s meeting was attended by Nuvem MLA Mikky Pacheco and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
It is learnt that the MLAs have mooted for categorisation based on 80 per cent for those having experience in the business of more than four years, 10 per cent for those with one to three years of experience and 10 per cent for new comers.
It is learnt that the next session of the Goa Assembly may see an amendment to the Tourist Trade Act and incorporation of the shack policy therein to avoid conflicts that result in delay in the allotment process and commencement of business for shack operators.
Herald spoke to a few shack operators who seem extremely restless over the deadlock and delay in notification of the Shack Policy 2013-16.
“We were hoping that this year we would have an early start to make up for the losses we suffered due to the delay last year,” said Ronney Silveira a shack operator from Candolim.
