Illegal use of flats as tourist accommodations rampant in Calangute

Calangute: Calangute sarpanch Francisco Rodrigues has said that illegal activity of renting out flats without informing the panchayat has been brazenly going on in the village due to which the panchayat was losing revenue.

He said that while flats are being rented out, the owners were only paying house tax and added that he would take action against such owners when they approach the panchayat for payment of house tax.

He said that locals have given their flats to agents who rent them out to tourists.  Serafino Cota, president of Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses Association, when contacted, said that illegal tourism practices are flourishing in the state and it will affect legal tourism. 

He said that “small and medium hotels and guest houses are the highest revenue generator for the government and also generate highest employment. If there is no crackdown on illegal renting out of flats to tourists, it will affect revenue of those who are into legal tourist accommodation business.”

“Our association has written to the government for 2 years relaxation on standby charges of the electricity department which has minimum charges of Rs 4,000-5,000 per month,” he said. Serafino stated that there is 80 per cent illegal tourism that is flourishing in Goa and no action is being taken in spite of it being highlighted.

Many illegal floors have been converted into rooms and in large colonies flats are being given to tourists at cheap rates.

Serafino said that major travel agencies are owned by outsiders mostly from Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala who provide flat accommodations to domestic tourists.

Another hotelier Antonio D’Souza from Calangute brought to the notice of this daily that COVID-19 crisis has exposed illegal tourism which is rampant in Goa.

He said that in Calangute many colonies have converted flats into guesthouses and the tourism department, panchayat electricity department and PWD are losing revenue, besides the GST.

Sources in electricity department informed that flats in colonies are being given on rent to tourists while the flats use domestic electricity line and this way the department is losing more than Rs 2 crore.