CALANGUTE: Stating that they are the traditional beach shack owners, members of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) have decided to unitedly oppose the model beach shacks proposed by the tourism department. “If we don't stop model shacks at the outset, then there's no hope for us. If they're there, then our shacks will go. We have to be united on this,” Cruz Cardozo, president of SOWS, said at their annual general meeting on Tuesday at Calangute.
Various issues regarding beach shacks were discussed at the meeting which was attended by a large number of shack owners from north and south Goa. At the meeting held at the Calangute panchayat hall SOWS members were briefed about a recent high court order which has recognised the SOWS as the representative body of beach shack owners which should be consulted while preparing the beach shacks policy which is expected soon.
It was decided to resist any attempt by the tourism department to change the ground location plan of the designated beach shacks as this has also been incorporated in the CRZ plan.
Members have proposed that the shacks license period should be from September 1 to June 10, weather permitting. Also, as per HC order, shack allottees should be given a provisional license one-two months before the license period starts.
Accepting another long-pending, it was also proposed to recommend that 50% of shacks be reserved for those with more than 10 years experience, 30% for those with five-nine years experience, 10% for one-four years experience, and 10% for newcomers. With a large number of newcomers having become shack owners over the years, the number of experienced shack owners has grown, resulting in competition for shacks at prime spots.
Although members were unanimous that shacks should not be sub-let to non-Goans, it was also proposed that long-time shack owners who fail to get a shack license in the lottery system may be permitted to sub-let a shack from another licence holder.