TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: Private Property Huts and Shacks Owners are furious against the Tourism Department for reportedly forfeiting their deposits of the last season.
According to All Goa Private Shack & Huts Owners (AGPSHOA) Secretary Pankaj Dessai, the Tourism department has forfeited security deposits of over 90% of the tourism operators, who obtained seasonal licenses during the last tourism season.
“There are about 176 tourism operators carrying out their seasonal trade from their private properties on Canacona coast and most of them couldn’t submit clearance certificates as it was not issued to them by their local bodies amid their official busy schedules,” said Dessai.
Interestingly, the seasonal licenses are issued with a cut-off date of May 31 and normally the local bodies allow a grace period up to June 15, while the Tourism Department gave a deadline of June 10.
All those who submitted their clearance certificates after June 10 got a letter from the Tourism department stating that their security deposit stands forfeited for failure to submit clearance certificate within the time frame, AGPSHOA officials informed.
AGPSHOA adhoc president Dharmesh Sanglani, who incidentally is the chairperson of Sanquelim Municipal Council, said: “We dismantled and cleared our land, but the delay was due to inspection by the local body officials who were busy in their day-to-day functioning.”
“Moreover, on a day only 5-6 properties can be inspected. If government had included us in either 3 or 5 years licensing period plan like beach shacks, this type of harassment would have stopped.”
“Since we are setting up shacks and huts in our private property, by levying some fees, we should be allowed to secure our private property as per our needs, with freedom to authorities to seal and inspect,” demanded Sanglani.
Just like the government restricts the end of tourism season by May 31, AGPSHO demanded that government should ensure commencement of tourism season by September 1 every year.
AGPSHOA also came hard on the government proposed enactment from 2014 season to allow 24 hours opening of bars and eateries for tourism business only to 5-star hotels.
“Tourists visiting beaches love to enjoy night life. So why to deny the low profile establishments and allow only high-end hotels to reap its benefits,” asked Saglani.
There are about 176 tourism operators carrying out their seasonal trade from their private properties on Canacona coast and most of them couldn’t submit clearance certificates as it was not issued to them by their local bodies amid their official busy schedules, said Pankaj Dessai
