MARGAO: At a meeting held in Benaulim on Saturday evening to discuss a proposed sewage management plan, shack owners from the Salcete coastal belt came down heavily on the Tourism Department for the ‘problematic’ Shack Policy 2023-2026.
They have also secured an appointment with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday to address their grievances regarding the policy. They also advocate for the continuation of the old policy, which they claim was functioning effectively.
Regarding the sewage collection plan, shack owners were provided with information about a sewage treatment system currently in use by certain commercial establishments in the taluka, which, they claim, has proven to be successful.
Shack owners plan to submit this proposal for ‘consent to operate’ from the Goa State Pollution Control Board as soon as they are granted their license, to prevent any further delays.
Speaking about the allocation of licenses, the shack owners’ primary concern with the State government is the time-consuming nature of this process. They pointed out that they had requested that the allotments be completed one month in advance, and the court had also issued similar directives. Nevertheless, they believe a month has already been wasted, and they will face losses since the shack season is seasonal. Once they obtain the license, there is a substantial amount of time required to set up the shack and obtain all other necessary permissions.
In addition to this issue, shack owners are displeased with the numerous clauses in the new shack policy that they were not informed about before the policy was finalised. They lamented that the coastal MLAs were not privy to the policy either.
Shack owners have criticised the inflated prices throughout the policy, including the increase in the security deposit to Rs two lakh and the higher fees for services such as bed placement. They are also critical of the substantial penalties that could be imposed on them, particularly how penalties can accumulate if more than one violation occurs, and the severity of the consequences.
“Are these harsh penalties and fines for the shacks alone? What about the hotels? Is the department keeping a check and imposing such high fines on them? Why were we not taken into confidence or informed about these clauses first? We had even asked that we be consulted, and our views be taken into consideration,” said Cruz Cardozo, President of the Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society.
