No doubt from the "Make it up as you go along" guide to Indian policing. I wouldn't let them licence a whelk stall!

It really is time they were sorted out.

Heard that several shacks by the Goan Heritage Hotel at Calangute have also had to come down. The only people to be happy will be the Hotel, they lose a lot of cutomers to the shacks.

Anyone have any more info on this? We head off on Sunday for 2 weeks and always go to Ganesh shack. He normally he stays open until the end of April. I am panicking now as no beach shack will totally spoil my hols.
Gail

In Herald today

http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=2385&cid=26

GEC I have PM you Ganesh mobile number as I am sure he will let you know whats happening

Thanks Taffy45. I had Ganesh's number but didn't know if he'd be around due to the time difference. Decided to text him anyway. Panic over. Have spoken to Ganesh and all is well. He says it only affected the unlicenced shacks. He will be open until 28th when we leave. I think I'll have to have a wee honeybee to calm my nerves now. Roll on Monday when (all being well) we'll be there.
Gail

have a nice time Gail, tell Ganesh and all we will see them at xmas

I understand unlicsensed shacks are a problem,however they still pay a fee bribe or whatever you wish to call it.The corruption is endemic and pervades every aspect of Indian society.Apart from us boycotting Goa alltogether which in the end would only harm people further unless there is a complete change in the culture of bribery(never happen) we will just have to live with it.

Papa

Dunk - did Anthony say if Claudinas was one of the shacks they closed down - if so we are gutted to hear this as we have just spent the last few weeks with Anthony, Tina and the rest of the gang.

Had confirmation Ganesh Shack was untouched and is open 'till end of season. This has only affected the unlicenced shacks, and as I said in my holiday report, they have picked the end of the season which will not make much difference in business loss as this time of year is quiet anyway.

Have just heard from Anthony in Claudinas and they are all shattered by what has happened. They are very much a licenced shack. The police broke up the whole place and took the contents from the shack, all this happened when they were holding there weekly buffet night with nearly 60 holidaymakers attending. It's a disgrace that they should get away with this. These shacks are homes to the workers during the season and they've been robbed of all that.

It is happening to the licenced shack`s too,claudina`s is licenced and was litteraly torn down and everyone ordered out, ant said the police planned to do more this week so no one is safe. Feel sorry for the staff that use it as there homes whilst working there.

I read on another website that Stringfellos (run by Dennis) has been pulled down.

Dennis did not get a shack licence in the initial allocation but then got a licence locally (I'm not exactly sure what this means ).

Between the police, the Tourism Dept and the hassle from beach sellers & taxi drivers, they're doing a pretty good job of ruining Goa as a holiday destination.
Polly

Oh no polly I have become friends with Denis and all the lads at stringfellows over the past few years I love that shack I just hope your wrong they are such a nice bunch of people in that shack and you get to see the same people year after year who seem to be like myself and go back year after year to Denis's shack .......colleen

I know, Colleen, I hope it's not true either but the poster on the other site seemed to know Rocky & Ricky so it doesn't look too good. Apparently, Ricky phoned her on Saturday to say the shack was down.

We first went to Stringfellos in Feb 2003, and have been back most years, sometimes twice a year since then.
We think their food is really good, and as you say, the lads are great.
We were in Candolim from 16th November until 9th December 2007 and Dennis's shack wasn't up when we first arrived.
We used Tidal Wave next door, the guys there are great too, and the menu is quite extensive but we found it much more expensive than Stringfellos - we sat there and watched them put the shack up.
I guess this season for Dennis & the lads has not been too good with a late start and early finish.

Did you see the other shack also called Stringfellos a bit further up the beach? Cheeky so-and-so's!
Polly

That other Stringfellos was the original I think. The 2 of them were partners and had a falling out so Dennis moved. According to beach gossip anyway (one of the shack lads from club21 told me that).

I first got wind of the police doing this when spotty stooped us on the beach road and said the police were on their way down. He got a tip off and started pulling his own shack down so as not to lose anything.

The problem about licenses is down to the fact that they need 2 licenses to operate a shack - one from the Panchayat and one from the tourism dept.

Therein lies the problem. They can pay the 35,000 roops to get the Panchayat license - however tourism licenses are a lottery and it is nigh on impossible to get one.

The ridiculous thing is that no one has batted an eye in previous years. Yes there may have been a lot of baksheesh - allegedly - but the place ran a lot better.

The main issue was over the beds......

When on an inspection outside Brittos, the inspector had to get his feet wet due to the amout of beds on the beach. Whinged about it and made sure that all licensed shacks - with both licenses had only 10 beds as it was "blocking the beach for Indian tourists when foreigners stretch out on deck beds all day" - quote from Navhind Times.
Basically reading between the lines, he was a petulent so and so who decided to flex his muscle.

I have to say it was a really sad day watching my friends have to either tear down their own lively hood to protect it, or stand by and watch while the lathi armed police ordered people to take it down, with no care or regard and confiscate anything of value.

I will write a full holiday report later, when the lag wears off and the washing has been done......

Stringfellow`s has been demolished too im afraid

That other Stringfellos was the original I think. The 2 of them were partners and had a falling out so Dennis moved.

Really, Sim1? I didn't know that.

In all the years I've been walking up and down the beach around that stretch, I've never noticed the other Stringfellos before so I thought they were the 'copy' when I spotted them this year.

Polly