CALANGUTE: Shack operators at Ozrant, Vagator, are facing serious challenges in erection of shacks due to delay in giving permission by the Tourism Department. As a result, though the tourism season has already started, there are no shacks erected in Ozrant. Shack owners complained bitterly about loss of revenue although they had paid the required fees.
One shack operator said, “The Chief Minister and Tourism Minister are supportive of us, as brand ambassadors of tourism, but we do not know what problems the Tourism Department has with us. We have paid Rs 13,000 to Goa Electronics Ltd to process the licences but even after 13 days nothing has happened. The last date for payment of fees was November 18, 2023 and we haven’t even got the provisional licence.”
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“We cannot erect our shacks, since it will be illegal. We do not have water supply and want to request the PWD to come to our rescue, if not, then there will be problems for arranging toilet facilities for our guests,” the shack operator added.
“The village panchayat has arranged to collect the garbage and sewage, but we do not have water supply. We request the govt, the local MLA and the tourism department to expedite the work of water supply,” the shack operator urged.
“After charging us so much money, the facilities should have been provided by the Tourism Department, but we are made to run around. There are no changing rooms on the beach for tourists and in fact the government has not provided a single facility to tourists,” another shack operator said.
