Crackdown on illegal shacks in Goa by coastal management body

Panaji, Aug 16 (PTI) In a major crackdown on illegalshacks, huts and cottages operating in Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ) without licenses, the Goa Coastal Zone ManagementAuthority (GCZMA) has directed that all these will have to be"demolished". It has also resolved to direct all coastal villagepanchayats, municipalities and block development officers(BDO) to identify such structures and submit a compliancereport as soon as possible, a GCZMA official said. The GCZMA had written to state tourism department lastweek to cancel its licences of such shacks, huts and cottagesand also asked electricity and PWD departments to immediatelydisconnect power and water supply connections to these, anofficial said. Moreover, the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has also been asked to cancel or revoke the licencesissued to all such illegal structures, the official said. The authority has swung into action after National GreenTribunal (NGT) during the hearing of a case ordered it to takeaction against illegal or unauthorised construction oftemporary, seasonal structures, shacks, huts, cottages. The NGT, in its order issued on February 9 this year, haddirected GCZMA to revoke all the permissions granted by themin the CRZ areas within a week. The failure of the authority to act had forced thepetitioner to file a contempt, wherein NGT issued notice tothem seeking their explanation. PTI RPS GKNSDSRE