Royal Travels News

Some fear this is a backdoor entry for shacks that have been erected illegally. About a dozen beach shacks have come up in the beach stretches of Calangute and Candolim which the department is yet to demolish.

The tourism department has moved a file to the government seeking permission to allow more shacks than what has been permitted earlier.

A source said this is simply to accommodate influential shacks operators who failed to get through a draw of lots. Beach shacks are allotted by a draw of lots and with a final approval from Goa coastal zone management authority.

Additional shacks are proposed for Candolim (10), Calangute (3), Arambol (1), Anjuna (1), Mandrem (1) and Benaulim (1).

Speaking to TOI, last week, tourism minister Dilip Parulekar had said that illegal shacks have been erected on beach stretches of Candolim and Calangute. He also stated that illegal operators had been asked to remove their shacks within two days or department officials would remove them.

No illegal shacks have been demolished since then.

While tourism department officials are tight-lipped about this development, a source said addition in shacks, especially in North Goa, is "only to accommodate illegal operators." The illegal shacks have come up after tourism department officials completed their task of earmarking spaces for legally permitted shacks.

A source said "The modus operandi employed by illegal operators was grabbing whatever empty spaces was available on the beach with the blessing of a local powerful politician." While the tourism department has proposed an increase in beach shacks, it has to be also approved by GCZMA. The number of beach shacks is decided keeping in mind various factors, such as total area available of the beach stretch, environmental conditions etc.

Royal Travels News