PANJIM: Differences, disunity and bitter rivalry among members of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) came to the fore Thursday at the meeting to chalk out a strategy to oppose the Tourism Department’s crackdown on illegal shacks and deck beds. The shack owners, however, threatened to take legal recourse against the government on the issue.
SOWS President Cruz Cardozo appealed for unity among members to fight against what he called ‘injustice and biased actions’ of the Tourism Department.
“We have no unity. If there is action taken against one shack operator, its neighbouring shack operator is happy because he will have no rival. If there is no unity among us, I doubt we will be allotted shacks in future,” he told the assembled members at the T B Cunha hall.
Some shack allottees pointed out that a number of operators have erected more than one shack, which was unfair. To this, Cruz explained that legally no action can be taken since these shacks are allotted to different individuals although they belong to the same family.
He urged the members to stop personal attacks, as rivalry had reached a level where shack operators are filing complaints against each other with the agencies concerned.
“Be united. I fear that with this act of the Tourism Department, in future, shacks will be auctioned and these will be allotted to outsiders,” Cardozo said.
Referring to the Utorda-Majorda case, where 11 shacks were razed, Cardozo questioned the government as to why they woke up four months after the tourist season had begun and moreover when hotels are operating along the coast within the CRZ limit.
“When scientific reports speak about destruction of sand dunes due to setting up of shacks, then why are hotels exempted? We have
never been taken into confidence during such studies. We will hire a lawyer to fight
the actions of the government,” he said.
