traditional inhabitants along the coastal stretch have sought relaxation in the CRZ notification allowing regularising of their existing structures being partly used for commercial purposes.
The locals, supported by the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA), have resolved to approach Javdekar seeking his intervention in the matter. NGPDA Chairman Michael Lobo on Thursday said they would seek approval of the pending 2,500-odd pleas of the local inhabitants, all of which were forwarded to the ministry by Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
“Several houses constructed by traditional inhabitants within 0-500 mtrs of the coastline are partially used for commercial purposes. These are either rented out to non-Goans and/or foreigners while some residents run small grocery shops, handicrafts stalls, taverns, etc. However, only the non-commercial portion is regularized,” he said.
As such, the authority has demanded that commercial portion of the structures be also included by either further amending the recently released draft amendments to the CRZ notification 2011, or a fresh draft notified incorporating ‘part commercial’ regularization of the structures.
Meanwhile, All Goa Private Shack/Hut Owners Association has hailed the relaxation to shack owners to retain the temporary seasonal structures – shacks and huts – even during the off season, provided they are not under operation. Association President Dharmesh Saglani has, however, demanded that the government fulfill their pending demand of formulating a Private Beach Shack Policy for a period of five years, and introduce a single window system.
“When the government can get all the machinery together to grant electronic dance music festivals permissions within 3-4 days, then why not to Goan shack operators,” he questioned.
The association is expected to file a review petition before the National Green Tribunal or approach the Supreme Court against the High Court of Bombay at Goa recent dismissal of their plea that had challenged the tribunal’s direction to GCZMA to revoke permissions issued to around 335 private shacks.
