The adage, “You can fool people sometimes and not always,” comes to mind as the Goa Erection of Shacks/Temporary Structures on Goan Beaches Regulation and Control Ordinance 2023 passed by the Goa cabinet awaits the Governor’s assent.
“This ordinance is to help the 18 shacks from among the 175 structures sealed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa and perhaps more, if citizens unearth more,” claims Michael, a stakeholder from Anjuna.
The Goa government in its cabinet meeting on March 11, 2024, recommended promulgating an ordinance wherein TCP approval and construction licenses from village panchayats would not be necessary for temporary structures.
“Sold as a step to ease setting up shacks on Goan beaches, the move is found suspicious by most, because the season is coming to an end and seems to be a clandestine effort to bypass the High Court order,” reasons a shack owner from the North on condition of anonymity.
“Some newspapers have reported that the Chief Minister stated that this ordinance will benefit structures facing potential sealing by the High Court in the north Goa beach belt. Doesn’t this statement let the cat out of the bag?” asks Michael.
If shack owners in the north are unwilling to accept the government’s reasoning, Cruz Cardozo, President of Shack Owners' Welfare Society thinks otherwise. “The ordinance will benefit us all. In fact, all licenses should be give through a single window,” reasons Cardozo.
“I think the government has passed an ordinance so that later on, they can make it a law. Ours are structures that do not exist during the monsoon so the idea of requiring TCP approval was strange,” claimed Cardozo.
That shacks are being leased out by Goans to outsiders was acknowledged by Cardozo who elaborated, “I know a number of shacks in Candolim have been sub leased to outsiders. I have asked for copies of written complaints to follow up but have received none."
Local shack owner Estifiana says, “By leasing shacks to outsiders, we are hampering our own business because foreigners come to shacks to get a feel of Goan hospitality that cannot be given by outsiders. They are here only to make money.”
Shacks are allotted to Goans on lots for three years in areas prescribed by the Department of Environment. Shacks came up on beaches for the 2023-24 season only around the first week of December due to procedural norms.
“If not to help those who are facing the wrath of the High Court, this could be an attempt to woo voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. They (the government) could be trying to woo the vote of the minority community,” stated restaurateur Joseph from Nerul.
The 18 shacks sealed by the High Court are run by outsiders with most operating out of the ambit of the shack policy and a majority running with NOCs from the Department of Tourism.
“Many years back, the Supreme Court asked for demolitions of certain structures of a five-star hotel in the north and instead of complying, the then government saved the hotel with an ordinance. Isn’t a similar thing happening now?” asked Irineu from the South.
