CALANGUTE: Many shack owners in the Calangute-Candolim belt have decided not to put up their structures this year because of the inordinate delays in the allotment process as they would not be able to recover or make any profits with a reduced season.
Talking to media at Baga, Calangute, Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) general secretary John Lobo said at least six shack owners in Gauravaddo in Calangute have decided to opt out this year and have not paid the shack license fee. “They cannot afford to pay the license fee and spend money to put up their beach shacks because it is not viable for them because the two months of the season are already wasted. By the time they put up their shacks, get all the licences and open, it will be December 10-15. Some operators will not be able to open even for Christmas,” he said.
Besides in Gauravaddo, there are other shack owners in isolated areas along the beach stretch in Ximer, Candolim, etc who have also decided not to open because of the poor charter tourist arrivals. “There are some shacks which only do business for three months, till February and March, so it does not make business sense for them to put up their shacks,” he said.
“They will be blacklisted as per the shacks policy and their shacks will be given to those on the waiting list next season,” he said.
“Last year we had asked the tourism department to finalise the beach shacks policy by April and complete the allotment process by May so that we could start the new season early, but the policy was only announced in October and then further delayed,” Lobo said.
