Tourism department cracks whip on beach illegalities (ToI)

Tourism department cracks whip on beach illegalities TNN | Aug 19, 2013, 05.20 AM IST PANAJI: The department of tourism has started cracking down on private shack operators encroaching on the beaches by laying tables and chairs as flow of domestic tourists increased during the last fortnight. In what could be deemed as the first attempt by the tourism department to act against beach illegalities even before the season begins, the department's executive magistrates conducted three raids this week on the beach stretches of Baga and Calangute and confiscated over 50 chairs, tables and dismantled deck beds. A tourism official said, "private beach shack operators having shacks adjacent to the beach area indulge in illegalities despite the presence of IRB personnel patrolling the beaches." The Independence Day holiday during last week attracted a lot of domestic tourists to Calangute, Candolim and Baga beaches. "Due to the extended weekend a lot of tourists came down to Goa and our local businessmen wanting to make most of it had tables and chairs on the beach," the official added. The department received a lot of complaints from IRB police patrolling the beaches who are also supposed to act against the illegalities. The IRB personnel on the contrary have been merely intimating the department of what's happening instead of acting on their own. In one of its raids conducted on Friday afternoon following a complaint from IRB, the raiding party seized 33 tables and 12 cane and plastic chairs from beaches at Calangute and Baga. No complaint could be filed against the shack owners since they would disappear by the time the raiding party arrived at the scene. "Normally, nobody comes forward to claim the seized property," the officer said explaining why they could not take any action against the violators. However, he said they are now in a position to act immediately as the department has its own flying squads, thus making the task of taking action easier without relying on others. Earlier this week in another raid, the department seized about 20 chairs, also dismantling about 20 deck beds. Last season, the department procured an electrical saw to break deck beds as it was becoming difficult to store deck beds taken in possession during the raids. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Tourism-department-cracks-whip-on-beach-illegalities/articleshow/21907120.cms