TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: As tourists bid farewell to yet another beach tourism season, hectic activities have begun at Palolem beach with beach shack operators dismantling their temporary structures and storing their materials before the arrival of the monsoons.
According to Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) sources, most seasonal tourism stakeholders have wound up their activities and are presently engaged in dismantling and storage activities.
CMC had reportedly granted permits to approximately 60 shacks and as many as 1,500 tourism huts, which were set up along the CMC coastal areas of Palolem-Colomb-Patnem-Rajbhag during the tourism season 2013-14.
Three beach shacks were set up at Palolem only in January-end, after a considerable delay at the government level, and they had also been dismantled after operating for barely two months.
Similar activities to remove temporary beach structures are also in full flow at Agonda, Khola, Galgibaga, Talpona and Polem.
It is also learnt that several residents, who had rented out hundreds of their permanent structures (rooms), have also taken a break from tourism activities.
Even though the beach structures are being dismantled, Palolem continues to be the hotspot for many domestic tourists, as they still flock in groups, while local picnickers still visit the beach during the summer vacations.
Incidentally, the 2013-14 tourism season in Canacona taluka was marred by the refusal of many owners/operators of private property shacks and huts to pay the enhanced tourism fees and deposits.
According to sources, almost 80 per cent stakeholders had reportedly conducted their seasonal tourism activities without adhering to the government’s policy, till they were issued notices by the Tourism department to pay fees and deposits and were warned of stiff fines.
While only a few responded to the notices, many, however, preferred to defy the directives and in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, the matter was reportedly kept in abeyance.
When Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had addressed a corner meeting in Palolem, he had reportedly assured to look into their grievances once the Election Code of Conduct was no longer in force.
On the other hand, the tourism department also did not reportedly pursue vigorously the recovery of license fees/deposits from the private shacks and huts owners/operators, most of whom had already wound up for the season.
While the 2013-14 tourism season officially ends on May 31, local bodies provide a 15-days grace period till June 15 to enable stakeholders to dismantle their seasonal structures and return the site to its original condition.
