NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The new shack policy is awaiting green signal from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority even as the document has been cleared by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said the government was waiting for GCZMA’s approval, which is expected to be granted this week.
He said the Chief Minister has cleared the shack policy, which will be circulated at the next cabinet meeting.
He said that the beaches will see shacks put up by the end of this month.
“The policy has been cleared by the Chief Minister and will be circulated at the next cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, we expect to receive the CRZ approval and subsequently the work on the shack allotment will begin,” Parulekar added.
Stating that the shack allotment would be through lottery system, he said the applications for putting up the shacks would be invited no sooner the policy is approved by the GCZMA and the state cabinet.
Pointing out that the tourism season has already commenced and the charter flights have begun to arrive in the state, Parulekar said, “We will also speed up the process of allotting the shacks as the season has already started, and we
do not want to delay any further. If required, we will deploy extra officers to hasten the process.”
He said the delay had not been due to the tourism department but rather due to the cases pending before the National Green Tribunal.
“There were some private shack cases pending before the NGT which has delayed the policy (formulation) as a whole. The NGT process has delayed the shack allotment process,” he added.