MARGAO: Even as the tourism trade is about to end for this year, it would be pertinent to note that all the shacks on private properties along the coastline of Goa have been operating for the second year in a row illegally and the tourism department has not received any income from them.
In South Goa for example, the tourism department issued NOC to only three establishments during the financial year 2014-2015 and since then, no NOC has been issued for setting up any tourism related activity in private beach properties even though there is business going on galore there.
While earlier, a NOC or permit from the tourism department was mandatory for seeking all other licenses and permits, three years back the rules changed with the permission from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority becoming mandatory.
Only after the GCZMA issued the permission, one could apply to the Tourism Department for registration of the establishment and also get the license from the local body which was either the municipal council or the panchayat.
The GCZMA began issuing the licenses but was hit by a major roadblock when Alex Pereira filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal following which GCZMA revoked the permissions granted by it last year and hence the tourism department did not issue any licenses or permissions.
This year also GCZMA has not issued any NOCs or licenses but has accepted applications from owners having their business in private properties. As the NGT is still to dispose the petition since the GCZMA had not approved the beach carrying capacity report, no licenses or NOC are issued by the authority and hence the tourism department is unable to collect any fees.
According to sources in the tourism department, over 100 such licenses or NOCs were issued in 2014-2015 and given the fact that the Tourism Department used to collect around Rs. 5000 per hut, the amount of revenue lost to the government is quite huge.
Significantly, a part of the fee collected from those running tourism related business on private properties along the beach is supposed to be a security deposit to be refunded at the end of the year, the department is yet to refund the amount to most of the owners.
Tourism Department officials at Margao do admit that the loss of revenue is very significant as a lot of money used to be collected from the private property owners along the entire coastline particularly the saturated beaches of Colva, Benaulim, Cavelossim, Palolem and Agonda.
