This is ridiculous. Why can't they let people just get on with trying to earn a living. Would they rather they walked up and down the beach begging or breaking into peoples homes or mugging people. I really can't understand what possible harm they are doing.

The Deputy Director of Tourism smashing up facilities for tourists.

Says all you need to know about the authority's approach to tourism! Duh!

Brenliz.
you will find they are reacting to complaints from other shacks, the ones who have paid for all thier licencies losing customers to those who have paid nothing, it is the same with the beach sellers, thats why they are chased off the beach, I was told that on the good days a beach seller can earn more than a doctor, I don' know about north Goa but in the south the absence of holiday makers has made everyone very worried and very aggresive, I saw shitthoo and a guy from peles have a fist fight over a customer on the beach, the dreaded ski jet I think.
Danny

I don't know why you have put swear, shitthoo is his name. Danny

If anyone is interested enough you can read his name on my holiday report

Part of the name is automatically removed by our swear filter - which is understandable seeing as his name starts with sh*t

His REAL name begins sh*t.?
must be fun filling in government forms!

Of Course, Glynis, I'm sorry, but all his name has been allowed on my holiday report, his name is Sh*tthoo, that isn't what they call him on the beach
Danny

Hello,
We live by the rules and according to law's in Europe. Why it causes a cry here in HT when Indian authorities try to enforce the same in Goa. Methods - ok, there you can argue but if I would have a shack and paying all the taxes and my neighbour does not - would you call it a unfair competition?
I would not consider it a serious argument from HT-rs that my friend owns the shack or I liked the place.
argo

Coco Beach now demolished http://www.oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=15940&cid=26 what an absolute shambles these people are, by the sounds of it they were legal until someone told them they , weren`t and demolished them with the slight oversight of taking 25,000 rps from them beforehand, disgusting

But of course they WILL get a refund..................NOT!

In the present climate, even if you have a licence, if you break the rules such as sunbeds, they may take action against you, however if you have the correct valid licence your shack will not be demolished. One shack, Johneys, outside the Goan Heritage, and one of the original shacks from many years back, was knocked down twice last year, I found out from a reliable local source, that he had'nt a licence, so even long established shacks, sometimes operate without one, but will tell you they have. This year the shacks who have a licence wil be displaying a copy of it prominatley behind the bar usually, on it is the licence number and the name and photo of the shack owner who holds the licence and I,d be very surprised if those are the shacks that are getting knocked down Alan

What are new tourists to Goa going to think?

I would say what elephant and gramps have said is correct. The events of coco beach may well have been handled better before the season started - or was it the stupidity of the shack owners thinking they would be granted a licence and went ahead regardless ?
What has annoyed me this season is the 10 bed rule, which I understand has been enforced due to shacks around Calangute/Baga blocking the walk along the beach - if this is the case (please correct me if I am wrong) but why wern't the shacks causing the problem punished instead of all of them ?
As a regular visitor along with many others we understand the way of life in India (or at least try) as for new tourists - they need to do quite a bit of research on the place prior to booking.
Goa for me - it's still a place you love or hate.
Spike.

Hi Everyone

GOOOOOOOD news Coco beach have started rebuilding their shacks, let's keep an eye on this one.

Mike

Hi,

I was at coco beach when the shacks were demolished. We were there as part of a trip with an arranged BBQ at a shack which was pulled down. It was a shambles with shack owners waving what appeared to be a license under the nose of the police and then having their shacks ripped down and there were some very emotional scenes. It was very initmidating - the amount of police that turned up seemed to be disproportionate to the task they were doing and one was walking around with a very large stick. Some tourists were even interviewed for TV