Beach shack owners in the northern coastal belt, which constitutes more than half of all the shacks in Goa, are likely to seek a one year extension when the licensing process starts for the upcoming 2021-22 season. The last season, 2020-21, ended abruptly in March after the surge in Covid-19 cases of the second wave, was the last year in the three-year license period. John Lobo, General Secretary of the Shack Owners’ Welfare Society, stated that given the pandemic, it was doubtful whether tourists would be visiting Goa, and it did not make sense to issue licenses for the next three years. During the last season, shack owners were told to pay the fees and erect the shacks; else their licenses would be cancelled. For many in areas like Candolim and Morjim, which are completely dependent on foreign charter tourists, there was no business, resulting in a complete loss for these shack owners.
Meanwhile, the Government has extended the excise permission validity of such licenses issued to shacks to five seasons, counted from October to May. While the announcement has come as a huge relief to the shack operators as they will not be required to secure the excise permission at the start of every tourist season, the development has put them in a quandary. The validity of the license issued by the Tourism Department to an allottee to set up a shack on the beach is three year; while shacks are erected in private spaces beyond the boundary of the beach.
The allottment process has been clearly stipulated under the three-year Beach Shack Policy. The term of license issued by the Tourism Department to an allottee to set up a beach shack is three years, so the excise license of five years will not hold good. A Tourism Department official stated that when fresh allotment of beach shacks is done on the conclusion of three years, it was not necessary that the same old allottees would be allotted shacks. Further, he said that the notification issued by the Finance Department, will need to be corrected as the order will create confusion.
EDC records 55% jump in profits
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, EDC saw a 13 per cent increase in its revenue, and 55 per cent jump in profit during the 2020-21.
The financial institution, during a board meeting, disclosed provisional revenue of `115 crore and `84 crore profits in 2020-21, as against `101 crore revenue and `54 crore profit in the previous year. Managing Director, K V Ballikar stated that the corporation improved revenues by stepping up loan recoveries from private as well as State Government companies. Further, there was a good response to the Modified Interest Rebate (MIR) loan scheme, on which the interest rate is very low, said Ballikar.
“All our borrowers have paid on time. Even government companies like GSIDC, Sewerage & Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGL) and Sports Authority of Goa, among others,” said Ballikar. He revealed that the provisional profit shot up due to the sale of a plot at Patto Plaza to RBI-Goa, from which the EDC has earned `30 crore, even after deducting the extraordinary income from the sale, the profit was high.
He said that the EDC loan portfolio improved in 2020-21 as borrowers have good credit rating with track record of timely loan repayments.
Meanwhile, EDC’s proposed ‘Market of Goa’ project at Patto Plaza over 8,000 square metre of vacant land is also ongoing.
State Govt Stops Iron Ore Transportation During Rains
The Goa Government has put a stop to iron ore transporation, during the monsoon, in order to avoid any untoward incidents and accidents in the mining belt.
Mines Director, Vivek H P stated that transportation of ore during the monsoons may jeopardize the safety of citizens using the road network in the vicinity of mining leases or transportation routes of such minerals.
Further, he said that the transportation of mineral by road has been stopped until further notice, except for domestic consumption or on specific orders of the Collector, due to the position of the jetty vis-à-vis mining leases. The notification is issued in public interest as mandated by point No.11 of Goa Mineral Policy, 2013.
GIDC coal block plans in limbo
Goa’s plan to extract coal from the Dongri Tal II, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, coal block has hit a roadblock, as the Centre has yet to agree to Goa’s plea for time to complete the formalities and pay `163.9 crore performance guarantees.
It has been more than two months since Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) wrote to the Union Ministry of Coal requesting for additional time. With no favourable reply forthcoming, the process to appoint a mine developer-cum-operator (MDO) is stuck in a limbo. Though the Dongri Tal-II coal block was allocated to GIDC in September 2019, major milestones for the coal mine were missed as the State Government dragged its feet in complying with norms laid down by the Coal Ministry. GIDC had issued the tender to appoint a MDO for the coal mine in March and with the Centre’s deadline about to lapse, sought an extension on March 28. GIDC had organised a pre-bid meeting with potential coal mine developers and even answered some of their queries, but with no clarity about the coal block itself, GIDC has decided not to proceed with the tender.
SIT speeds up probe into illegal mining
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing illegal mining in Goa has intensified its tasks and started preparing reports of 126 mining violations before the final decision is arrived at.
A senior police officer said the report is being prepared based on the scrutiny of documents submitted by the Mines Department on environment clearances, dump handling and fresh extraction.
During the last Assembly session, the Opposition had cornered the Government for not being able to recover the money from mining companies in illegal mining cases. The officer said that based on the reports, Police will take necessary action.
The SIT has filed 16 first information reports (FIRs) in the illegal mining cases, out of which eight have been charge-sheeted; three have been closed while three have been transferred to the respective police stations.
Further, the officer said that three cases have been quashed by the court. Presently, four police officers are investigating the illegal mining cases, even as the main mining case is pending for investigation. The documents provided to the SIT include environmental clearances (EC) issued to the leases, quantity-related papers and EC limit.
Adverse weather, Covid surge dampens cashew feni industry
The cashew liquor industry in Goa has taken a hit, for the second consecutive year, due to various factors.
While cashew farmers and feni distillers were unable to reap profits last year owing to the lockdown that was enforced from March-end, 2021 hasn’t been any better, as adverse weather conditons affected precious productive months of the season.
Distillers and ‘bhatikars’, who are traditionally involved in feni making, as well as stakeholders in the industry, were forced to give up production a month before the season in May.
Gurudatta Bhakta, President, Goa Cashew Feni and Distillers’ and Bottlers’ Association, said, “This season, the cashew produce was 40% less than the usual production due to unfavourable weather conditions. Many wound up their operations in April itself. Also, it was difficult to function after Goa witnessed a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.” Bhakta said that although the cashew season started on a bright note in February-March, feni manufacturers had a hard time procuring cashew apples due to low yield, coupled with bad weather conditions in the following months disturbed the fruiting pattern, thus leading to loss of crop.
Sanath Bharne, team leader at Madame Rosa Distillery said, “Overall, the yield was low, and the fruit gathering activity was comparitively less. This led to an overall rise in prduction costs.”
For some traders, production was affected due to lack of people who gather cashew apples and transport these to processing sites.
“We shut down our operations mid-April as some of our workers tested positive. I also contracted the virus, so it was not possible to monitor the production. Hence, we wound up earlier than usual,” says Tukaram Haldankar, Director, Haldankar Cashew Industries. Cashew season usually takes off by mid-February and continues till the end of May. But this time, the month of May was a washout due to Cyclone Tauktae.
Deforestration Threat Looms Over Vagheri
Goa’s third highest hill, Vagheri, known as the abode of the tiger, is under threat from increasing deforestation and pollution.
While some of the forested areas in the vicinity of Vagheri have been included in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in 1999, there are still large areas of rich private forests that have been excluded.
In April, owners of the private forest in survey no. 102/1 in Keri had sought permission from the office of Range Forest Officer for bush cutting and demarcation of boundaries. Though no permission for forest clearance was given, it was noticed that trees were felled causing irreparable loss to the area’s environment and ecology.
RFO Vivek Gaonkar stated that he had given directives to the Round Forester concerned, to verify whether any tree felling had been carried out.
As per the directives of the Supreme Court, the Goa government appointed the Sawant Committee in 1997 to identify private forests in Goa. The Committee found forested areas dominated by more than 75% forest species and above 40% tree canopy in large tracts around Vagheri, as well. Later, the V T Thomas Committee also confirmed these findings in 2017. However, some area near Vagheri has long been cleared to cultivate cashew and in the degraded areas owned by the Forest Department, under social forestry, monoculture plantation was undertaken. The green cover of Vagheri hill offers refuge to tigers, leopards and other wildlife and is a great favourite among trekkers and enthusiasts.
TTAG upset as State government fails to recognize sector’s workforce as frontline workers
The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) is upset with the State Government for not granting its request to declare the tourism workforce as frontline workers (FLW) for vaccination when some States have already done so.
The TTAG had requested the government to declare people employed in the tourism sector as frontline workers, more than a month ago, so that they can be vaccinated at the earliest, before the industry is allowed to restart operations.
President of TTAG, Nilesh Shah said that other segments have already been declared as frontline workers while the government is yet to consider the request of TTAG. He said that business will have to be carried on with Covid around and that people should take all precautions and those not wearing masks in public be penalised.
“Staggered entry could be allowed in clubs and casinos but the key is Covid appropriate behaviour. The industry will have to self-regulate, and deny entry to visitors not showing Covid appropriate behaviour,” said Shah.
