Meeting of Salcete beach shack operators with Margao SDPO, DySP Sidhanth Shirodkar and Colva police inspector Ritesh Tari at Colva on Thursday.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
The Goa Police on Thursday conveyed a clear message to the beach shack operators to involve the men in uniform regarding law and order issues involving tourists, promising prompt action to diffuse the situation.
At an initiative taken by Margao Sub-divisional Police Officer, DySP Sidhant Shirodkar with the beach shack operators, a decision has been taken to form a WhatsApp group comprising the beach shack operators and police officers for the safety and monitoring of activities at the shacks.
The interaction was attended by a majority of the beach shack operators coming in the jurisdiction of Colva police station, right from Majorda to Cavelossim in order to sensitise the shack operators in the wake of rising incidents between employees employed at the beach shacks and tourists and locals.
Issues such as sub-letting of beach shacks also figured at the meeting, but the primary focus of the initiative was to ensure coordination between the men-in-uniform and the beach shack operators on law and order issues.
DySP Sidhanth Shirodkar told the beach shack operators to feel free to convey their issues to the police, especially relating to dealing with tourists playing mischief. The operators have been requested to keep the police in the loop on law and order issues, promising to act promptly before the issue goes out of hand.
The operators have been told to video film the rough behaviour of the tourists and guests and whatsApp the same to the joint group for the police to act.
SDPO, Margao DySP Shirodkar informed that the interaction with the beach shack operators was arranged under the guidance of SP Tikam Singh Verma given the rising crimes involving shacks.
He said the beach shack operators have been told to share information on crimes such as drug peddling etc to facilitate the police to act in a prompt manner. He said though the operators were told to run the business with legal permissions and bring their premises under the CCTV scanner, most of the shacks had the relevant permissions and CCTV facility.
After the meeting, president of the Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society Cruz Cardozo welcomed the initiative taken by DySP Sidhant Shirodkar and Colva PI Ritesh Tari saying it will go a long way in averting unnecessary issues. “We will immediately form a WhatsApp group of the shack operators and the police for better coordination and cooperation in addressing issues affecting the shack business”, he said.
On sub-letting of the beach shacks, Cruz came out strongly against sub-letting of beach shacks by Goans, reminding that the Goan beach shack operators had the support of both the opposition and the government before the beach shack policy was framed for the benefit of the Goan operators.
“In such circumstances when both the opposition as well as the Government had rallied behind the Goan beach shack operators to ensure the shack business remains with the locals, there should be no room for subletting of the beach shacks to outsiders”, he said.
The beach shack operators also highlighted the issue of stray dog menace plaguing the beach belt, with a request to the police to take up the matter with the government for redressal.
