Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a bid to restore order and safety along Goa’s beaches, the state’s Tourism Department, led by Minister Rohan Khaunte, has launched a stringent crackdown on the practice of subletting beach shacks.
This move comes amid rising concerns over increased crime and disturbances attributed to non-Goan operators running these shacks.
The Tourism Department has issued show-cause notices to 38 shack owners found to be subletting their establishments, with further investigations underway for the remaining cases. Minister Khaunte reiterated that the Beach Shacks Policy is designed for local youth and not for subletting to outsiders. He stressed the importance of promoting local culture and cuisine rather than continental or Bollywood themes.
He said that the Department led by Director Kedar Naik has found that out of 206 shacks in North Goa, 109 have been sublet.
“We have issued show-cause to 38 and the remaining probe is underway,” Khaunte said.
He said that the strict vigil on these beach shacks would continue.
“The Beach Shacks Policy is for local youth and not to be sublet to others. The beach shacks have to promote the local culture and Cuisines and not Continental or Bollywood,” he stated while interacting with Editors in Panjim.
Besides this, the Tourism Department has taken various other initiatives to discipline the shack business on the coastline.
“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,” Khaunte said.
The department circular criticized shack operators for playing loud music, disturbing their neighbours, and not following the rules.
Khaunte 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, Khaunte warned.
The department has identified that out of 361 licensed beach shacks in Goa, approximately 35% have been sublet to operators from outside the state.
Cruz Cardozo, president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), emphasized that these non-Goan operators are linked to various violent incidents, including recent murders and petty crimes, which have severely impacted Goa’s tourism image.
“We have informed Minister Khaunte that we are ready to provide details of all sublet shacks,” Cardozo stated after a meeting with the minister. “About 30-35% of these cases involve illegal activities, and this must stop immediately.” Cardozo highlighted that when Goans exclusively managed the shacks, beach crimes were almost nonexistent, and he urged for immediate action against those involved in subletting.
