Article from todays Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=550611&in_page_id=1811

Thats a very in depth article and the most ive read on the case. Its so very sad, but also a bit scary. Where is it all going to end?
Poor Scarlett, what a horrific death. Also her mother has since lost her partner as they have split due to the pressure they are under.
So sad.

I followed the story very closely while I was there and heard some really disturbing stuff from long termers and locals I know in Vagator and Anjuna, as the article mentions everyone is of the opinion that a uniform is involved somewhere along the line, rotten to the core is how best to describe the wonderful Goan Police

Beach shacks. Candolim to Baga stretch (North Goa)

Heard another rumour that the police are going to demolish any illegal shack still standing by the 15 April. The police I am told are expecting the owners who do not have a licence to dismantle their shacks themselves before the 15th, if not, they will have the shack destroyed. So the question is, will it happen or not. I am led to believe that only 25 are licenced and should only have 10 beds per shack. Not sure about South Goa.

Stange don't you think that the police are leaving this to the end of the season, when they must have known from the begining which shacks didn't have their licence.

I too have heard this rumour. The shacks have temporary licences - because they are only temporary structures. The licences are handed out at the beginning of the season to cover a six month period, therefore when the six months is up they should technically be taken down, this never happens. Maybe this year they'll stick to the rules. The shacks that are on private land usually have a permanent licence so can trade all year round (possibly the 25 that you mention suckseed)

Gemma, not sure where we'll end up next winter, just go with the flow and see where the wind takes us. Will return to Goa at some point I would imagine, purely out of curiosity!!!

GFF xxx

http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=1859&cid=2

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=2518&sid=36&sname=Top%20Stories

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&issueid=47&id=6282&Itemid=

Lat paragraph interesting.

Beach shacks. More rumours.

I have been told today (06/04) that some shacks along the Calangute- Baga stretch will be coming down on Monday 7th April. These are supposed to be the ones that are unlicenced and the ones that are licenced are to come down on Tuesday 15th April.

If this is correct then a lot of people will be disapointed. I understand that the last charters are due in or around the 15th. If so why take the shacks down at this time.

Yes a friend of ours ar Coco beach told us last week he was taking his shack down on the 21st. Then a few days later he said he now had to take it down on 15th. Not only will tourists have no shacks but the shack owners are losing nearly 2 weeks custom. I suppose that's a fitting end to a pretty dismal season for them.

What no shacks we dont arrive till the 15th, do you think first choice will let us bring a sunbed over as part of allowance ?

Dont worry Bluemoon I am sure there will still be some shacks there

Due to Ganesh not having many regular customers towards the end of April he will start to remove an amount of sunbeds and tables from the shack but will still be open for food and drink to the end of April.
Licence fees this season were 30,000rps for the shack and 5,000rps for 10 sunbeds - one reason why you see many times shack boys running up the beach removing the excess ones, before the police come.
Those who don't agree about paying for sunbeds (in other threads on here) should think about the fees they have to pay out, Ganesh only charges for those who don't want to eat and drink limited amounts -fair enough in my book, and good business sense - other shacks may not make any charge if business has been booming, this season though many have added the charge.
The 7th is the deadline for those without a licence, but most have little or no regular customers so the police taking them down will not cause any problems in my opinion.

I always find this site good for Goa news , and articles http://www.goanvoice.orguk/

Two interesting columns today x lassi

The dark side of Goa

It seems a shame that you cant sit on the beach at midnight without getting questioned/lifted by the police. Seems quite a lot of crackdowns, lucky I'm not a late night partier otherwise it all sounds grim.

Mini Moscow Video - Morgim

http://ww.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=25922

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=25922

Thanks for putting that video link on Neil! We heard that the Russians had 'taken over' Morjim..but thought it was an exaggeration - apparently not!

Yes, I stayed up there last year for 2 weeks. Some of these Russian guys you don't want to mess with... I tried to tell a Russian woman to turn the music down round the pool and you should have seen the look I got from her 'boyfriend' and his mates. Scary to say the least, some are very intimidating.... put me off staying round Morjim. Although I did meet some nice young lads who weren't there for the hookers and chemicals, but there weren't many of them.

I'm sure after all the Anjuna scandals the one or two 24 hour bars in Morjim won't be doing there 'business' for long.

I found that clip absolutely shocking as did my o/h . and we live here!!....... someting has to be done and you can begin to understand the feeling here about foreigners buying property...... if this is the crux of the problem then i can see why there is agitation here its not the brits they really have a problem with re buying property but this terrible situation that has been allowed to happen ... IMO...