Goa Tourism will ensure that shacks dotting the coastal belt of the tourist State install CCTVs mandatorily as a safety measure for tourists.
Shacks are seasonal eateries allowed to be set up along the state’s 106-km coastline by the state tourism department during the tourist season.
On its part, the state government will also ensure proper disposal of garbage and install toilets and CCTVs for surveillance of beach stretches.
While reviewing the Shack Policy 2013-16 recently with the stakeholders, Goa Minister for Tourism Dilip Parulekar assured the shack operators that the government would improve regulatory mechanisms and modalities.
State Tourism officials apprised the Minister about the matter pertaining to shacks, currently with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and the request from the stakeholders to expedite the survey on the carrying capacity of the coastline for shacks, which the operators insisted should be expedited by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority so that there is no delay in the allotment of shacks for the coming season.
The suggestion for introducing a single window system to obtain various licences by shack operators was also discussed.
The shack operators urged the government to consider reducing the licence fees, increasing the number of deck beds and tables, and increasing the implementation period of the shack policy from three to five years.
Shacks are part of the state tourism policy to ensure the benefits of tourism are shared by the locals, particularly by the coastal people.