Odisha Government cancels plan for beach shacks on Puri beach

Bhubaneswar, Sept 13: The Odisha government announced on Friday that it has rescinded its proposal to establish beach shacks serving alcohol on Puri Beach as part of its tourism promotion efforts. According to a notification from the Excise Department, no licenses will be issued for operating such shacks within the Puri Municipality area and within 5 kilometers of any site deemed of socio-religious-cultural importance. The designation of these areas will be determined by the state government as needed.

This decision follows opposition from Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and protests by various groups at the Shree Jagannath Temple. The protestors also presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister through Puri Collector Sidhartha Shankar Swain, urging the withdrawal of the beach shack proposal.

The Puri seer criticized the plan, emphasizing that Puri’s sacred nature and its spiritual practices, such as Bhajan, Kirtan, and evening aarti, should not be compromised by introducing beach shacks that could undermine the sanctity of the area.

Earlier, the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) had invited bids to set up beach shacks from Puri to Konark to boost beach tourism. The new Excise policy introduced on August 30 allowed alcohol service at shacks near rivers, lakes, and dams to enhance tourist experiences similar to Goa’s. It provided for temporary liquor licenses at eco-retreat venues and stipulated that licenses for beach shacks would be issued based on Tourism Department approval.

Previously, in 2021, the BJD government had also abandoned plans to establish beach shacks in Puri and five other locations due to similar protests.