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Sarpanch Paid Rs 25 Lakh ‘Bribe’ To Protect Illegal CRZ Violating Structure; VP Members Rs 50 Lakh, Alleges Activist
CALANGUTE, GOA: In a shocking disclosure by a prominent Goan social activist, the Sarpanch of the Calangute Village Panchayat (VP) was allegedly paid a bribe amount of Rs 25 lakh and other Panchayat officials, including the Calangute panchayat secretary, ward members (panchas), in particular a former sarpanch Francisco Rodrigues (and present ward member of Madda vaddo), were jointly paid approximately Rs 50 lakh (Read Here) to protect and save from demolition, an illegal structure on the Calangute beach, which falls within 200 meters of the High Tide Line (HTL) and is in blatant violation of various CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) and GCZMA (Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority) norms and laws.
The officials even sat on their own demolition notice, which was a smokescreen to divert attention, allowing the builder/promoter enough time to get the matter entangled in a legal web of litigation and stall the demolition. The demolition notice was issued by the Panchayat secretary in March 2021, after several written complaints were made by various local residents against the structure (Read More Here).
On one hand in March 2021, the Panchayat issued a demolition notice to the structure, ie., House No. 5/154 in Survey No. 176/16-B and 176/25-A, owned by Delhi-based businessman Rajiv Kumar alias Rajeev Arora – which is in complete violation of CRZ rules, that prohibit any construction or commercial activity on the beach within 200 meters of the High Tide Line; and the other hand, it allowed the structure to exist by involving it in never-ending back-and-forth litigation.
In spite of the fact that there is no stay or restraining order by the Director of Panchayats (whom the builder/promoter has appealed to, the Panchayat is sitting on its own demolition order, without touching the illegal structure.
Not just that, the same Panchayat issued an NOC or restaurant license to the structure, which after a hue and cry by activists and the Goan media, was revoked by claiming it was issued in error.
ALSO READ: Calangute Panchayat grants hotel license to CRZ structure it had ordered to be demolished?
According to reliable sources, including a social activist from Parra, the entire deal on behalf of the Calangute beach-illegal structure was co-ordinated by the Madda vaddo ward member and one estate agent bizman Danny, who has an office near the Porvorim petrol pump in North Goa and runs a real estate business, dealing in selling of plots and built-up properties in the State.
The same Danny was earlier also linked with another businessman-turned-social activist Roy Rosario Fernandes from the Verla area in Bardez taluka.
ALSO READ: More than 4,00,000 sq. mts. of land illegally converted from Candolim to Arpora and Parra
According to our sources, Danny, along with others, was a front for a powerful coastal belt MLA with interests in real estate and hospitality and made deals on his behalf, buying up land, plots, restaurants and hotels in the Candolim, Calangute, Parra, Arpora and Nagoa area on behalf of the MLA, using proxy names and identities of out-station buyers and investors.
In case of the illegal Calangute structure, our sources claim the bribe amounts were first sent to Danny (and one more individual) via hawala from North India, who in turn forwarded the money to the sarpanch and various panchayat officials.
Goans may recall the incident in July last year (2021), when an FIR was registered by the Anjuna Police against five persons for assaulting and threatening businessman/activist Roy Fernandes from Verla.
After falling out with his former associates, including Danny from Porvorim and the powerful MLA from the coastal belt, primarily due to financial issues, Fernandes spearheaded a protest against the Verla-Bardez hill cutting case and tried to expose the MLA and his associates. He and his colleague were brutally beaten up by goons, allegedly sent by the
The police named one Rohan Harmalkar from Divar and four others in the FIR, but did not mention or touch the MLA.