Panaji: The tourism department has completed the process of demarcation of land for 321 beach shacks across the state, paving the way for erection of the shacks for the current tourist season.
The demarcation, which is being undertaken for the tourist season 2020-21, is for renewal of the shack licences issued as per the shack policy 2019-22.
As per the information provided by the tourism department, of the total 359 shacks, land for 321 shacks has been demarcated; the remaining 38 pending shacks include six in Keri, ten in Mandrem and 11 in Morjim in the North Goa beach belt area. Eleven shacks in the South Goa beach belt areas are also pending where the applicants were reportedly absent when the department team visited the sites to carry out the demarcation work.
A senior officer of the department informed that in Keri, the demarcation of land for shacks would be taken up in the next seven days, while Mandrem and Morjim have been excluded for now in the backdrop of the National Green Tribunal order banning structures around turtle nesting sites.
The officer further informed that the department will send messages to all the 321 shack allottees, asking them to pay the fees and apply for the no-objection certificate from the department to run the shacks.
It is pertinent to note that the government has reduced fees for the renewal of beach shacks and placement of deck beds by 50 per cent.
The department has said that all the allottees will have to mandatorily follow the COVID-19 norms while running the shacks in order to ensure safety of the tourists and their own staff.
