Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has stayed the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) directing Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to revoke permissions given to 335 private beach shacks within a week’s time.
NGT’s Pune bench, in its order on February 9, had asked GCZMA to revoke the licences to shacks operating on private property in Goa. There are almost 400 shacks on the entire coast on private property.
Challenging the NGT order, All Goa Private Property Shacks/Huts Owners’ Association approached the High Court seeking its intervention under Articles 226 and 227 of the Indian Constitution claiming breach of fundamental rights.
The HC has given relief to shack owners till Alex Pereira, who filed the petition in the NGT, replies in the High Court.
Meanwhile, All Goa Private Shack Owners’ Association has asked the government to intervene and resolve their issues as their business is threatened. President of All Goa Private Shack Owners’ Association Dharmesh Saglani said the government’s and Tourism department’s negligence will invite a situation similar to what happened to the mining industry.
“Government is taking various taxes and deposits from us whereas it is their duty to protect us but they are least bothered. They should send a senior lawyer to defend us in court,” Saglani said.
Citing the example of NGT order, Saglani said the government is not even aware of it. “If we had not approached the court as affected party then all shacks would have closed by now,” he said.
Private shack owners have demanded a policy to regularise private shacks. Currently, the beach shack policy is imposed on private shacks. Saglani said beach shacks are in public places whereas private shacks are in private property owned by private individuals and beach shack rules cannot be imposed on the private shacks.
“We have given our list of demands to the State government and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, we are waiting their attention,” Saglani said.
He threatened to take to the streets with 30,000-odd families who are dependent on shacks if the government failed to initiate a process to improve private shacks.
