Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: In spite of the fact that five shack operators filed a petition contesting the shack distribution criteria based on years of experience, the High Court of Bombay at Goa declined to grant an interim stay to the Goa State Shack Policy 2023–26, which was announced by the State government.
Five shack owners, including Austin D’Costa of Aldona, Kapil Mulgaonkar of Pernem, Sanjay Chari of Candolim, and Shital Parab and Kritika Fadte of Vasco, filed a writ petition asking for the removal of the experience requirement and the issuance of shack licenses by drawing lots among the qualified applicants without making any distinctions based on prior experience erecting shacks.
In order to wait for the court to rule on their petition, the petitioners had asked for an interim stay of the Shack Policy.
The date of the lotteries to choose the location and choose which applicants will get shacks has been moved up to November 7.
The original date of the lot draw was November 3. In accordance with the Goa State Shack Policy, the State Tourism Department is accepting applications for the construction of beach shacks, deck beds, and umbrellas during the three-year tourist season of 2023–2026.
There are 359 shacks in total that need to be distributed, with 254 in North Goa and 105 in South Goa. Of the 359 shacks, 34 (or roughly 10%) will be distributed to applicants with one to four years of experience, and an additional 34 will be distributed to applicants without experience.
The remaining 291 shacks will be distributed to seasoned shack owners with at least five years of experience. A few Shack owners have filed a lawsuit in court challenging the allocation pattern.
