Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: Shack owners have called on the government to strictly enforce the ban on subletting beach huts, blaming this practice for the increase in beach crime in Goa.
At least 35 percent of Goa’s 361 licensed beach shacks are subleased to operators from outside the state, according to Cruz Cardozo, president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS).
He asserted that the State’s tourism image has been damaged by these non-Goan operators’ involvement in violent situations, such as recent killings, small-time crimes, and other illegal activities. Cardozo said that Goa’s tourism industry, especially the shack industry, will face dire repercussions if such practices persist.
“We have let Rohan Khaunte, the minister of tourism, know that we are prepared to give him information about every sublet shack. About thirty to thirty-five percent of these situations include unlawful activity. Following a meeting with Khaunte, Cardozo told reporters, “This has to end right now.” He emphasized that when Goans only operated shacks, crime along the shore was virtually nonexistent, and he said that those who engaged in subletting ought to be looked into and held responsible.
Cardozo maintained that the increase in illicit activity is primarily the fault of shack allottees who sublease their establishments. He noted that the recent killings and attacks were carried out by rented shack workers, severely harming Goa’s tourism sector.
Shacks must abide by the Central Pollution Control Board’s Noise Pollution Rules, which forbid playing loud music between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to a circular published by the tourism department.
The circular criticized shack operators for playing loud music, disturbing their neighbors, and not following the rules.
It emphasized that music should only be heard inside a shack and that shacks can only be open from 7 am to 11 pm. According to the Goa State Shack Policy 2023–2026, shack allottees who disobey these guidelines will face consequences, the letter said.
