Goans oppose foreigners running shacks

Even as India is celebrating the success of those who migrated to foreign countries, some Goans are complaining that foreigners are eating into their businesses.

Foreigners who operate/own shacks and restaurants along the Baga-Anjuna coastline say they are being victimised by locals jealous of their success.

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A few weeks ago, the Anjuna Panchayat passed a resolution declaring that it would not issue No Objection Certificates to foreigners seeking to run shacks along the coastline, saying locals would be robbed of business during the peak tourist season.

A visit to the coast, however, reveals that not all locals have a problem with foreigners owning businesses.

"We have our own regular customers and we don't have to depend on the foreign tourists who come during the peak season. If any foreigner wants to try his hand at Goan cuisine, he is free to do so," says Vivendra Karekar, manager of a beachside restaurant.

Some foreign nationals, who came to Goa with the intention of settling down, however, say there is nothing wrong with their setting up businesses on the coast.

"We run these shacks legitimately and there is no reason to allege that we are doing so illegally," says one such shack owner, on condition of anonymity. He, however, refused to say anything further.

The state government has, however, categorically stated that while it welcomed foreign investment in the tourism sector, the smaller businesses of shacks and restaurants should be left to the locals.