TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Tourism Department has begun site inspections along the beach belt to verify if the shacks have been removed, failing which they have stated that instant demolition will be done, if any structure violates the Beach Shack Policy 2012-13.
Site inspections are currently on in Calangute that had a fairly high number of shacks for the 2012-13 season. Overall 329 shacks were put up all along the beach belt with 223 in North Goa and 106 in South and an equal number of shacks in private properties.
A department official said that all the assistant directors and executive magistrates are visiting the beaches these days to ensure that each and every shack which was permitted to operate as per the Beach Shack Policy upto May 30, 2013 is removed.
“The shack owners had time to remove the shacks till June 7 and submit a site clearance certificate by June 30,” he said.
“So far most shack operators seem to have complied and furnished the site clearance certificates,” he said, adding that the department is now inspecting the entire site from Keri to Polem and will submit a report thereafter.
“In case any structure still existing, the same will be removed instantly,” an official told this reporter.
In cases where private shacks which were granted NOC by the Tourism Department under the Beach Shack Policy and have failed to vacate, directives will be issued to the concerned village panchayat bodies to remove the same. These shacks had to be removed latest by June 10.
The new shack policy for 2013-14 is likely to see major changes with licences proposed to be granted for a longer tenure in addition to stringent guidelines to further regulate the business.
The comprehensive beach cleaning policy is also being finalised and tenders are expected to be out shortly.
