Amendments expected in beach shack policy

Panaji: Some amendments are expected to be brought about to the beach shack policy 2013-16 with a major one being a reduction in licence fees charged for private shack owners.
In 2012, licence fees charged for both the categories of shacks were hiked steeply. The tourism department is now thinking of slightly decreasing licence fees for private shack operators who erect shacks in their own properties.
Since the hike in the licence fees of shacks, there has been a constant demand to reduce the licence fees. On Thursday, MLAs had raised the issue in Goa legislative assembly saying it is unfair to charge so high fees for beach shack operators who erect shacks in their own properties.
For a shack of the size of 18 m x 8m, 15,000 is charged besides security deposit of 20,000 per shack. For every additional sq meter, 300 per sq meter is payable. For air conditioned huts and tents, fees charged are 5,000 per sq meter in addition to 5,000 security deposit per hut/tent and for non-air conditioned huts and tents it is 3,000 per unit plus 3,000 security deposit.
Shack operators arguing for lower fee structure, say they are taxed heavily than the hotels even as their earnings are comparatively less.
A private shack operator said that due to high taxation at some beaches, private shack operators do not disclose actual number of tents erected. “This is rampant in Palolem and at other beaches in the South. You might erect ten huts but on paper you say five. They hide their illegality by bribing local panchayat members while tourism department officials are not so scrupulous in checking the illegalities,” he pointed out.
Private shacks are erected along the beach stretches of Calangute, Candolim, Majorda, Colva, Varca, Fatrade, Mobor and Khandivado (Cavelossim), Keri (Pernem), Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Ozrant, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, Siridao, Velsao, Arossim, Utorda, Betalbatim, Senarbatim, Colva, Velludo, Benaulim, Zalor and Palolem.