PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the issue raised by the beach shack operators will be resolved by the government will next two days.
Sawant said that the Department of Environment and the Department of Tourism will sit together and resolve the minor issues raised by shack operators following the approval of the new Goa State Shack Policy 2023-26, within a day or two.
On Wednesday, representatives of shack operators along with Calangute MLA Michael Lobo met the Chief Minister at Mapusa where the latter assured them that the government will resolve all their minor issues. The Chief Minister assured them to increase the number of shacks from three to eight at Ozrant-Anjuna and to relocate the location for erection of shacks at Calangute and Candolim beach stretches.
This year the Department of Tourism will not allot shacks at Keri beach in Pernem taluka due to works undertaken by the Water Resources Department (WRD).
After the State Cabinet approved the new Goa State Shack Policy 2023-26 for erection of temporary seasonal structures, beach shacks, deck beds and umbrellas for the current tourist season, the shack operators protested against the age criteria and number of years of experience for the applicants.
The government later withdrew the age limit between 18 and 60 years to apply for the shacks and also revised the number of years of experience and the free structure for the applicants.
Though the number of shacks for the current tourist season was reduced to 359, the Chief Minister has now assured the operators to restore it 364 shacks, which were permitted last year as per the erstwhile shack policy.
