Goa: Prominent North Goa politician involved in illegal excavation at Cobravaddo, Calangute

PANAJI: According to panchayat sources, a prominent North Goan politician and real estate magnate is involved in the illegal excavation work in the property bearing Survey no 214/7A at Cobravaddo, Calangute and in spite of a High Court order staying the construction and excavation work in the property, as reported earlier, digging continued clandestinely and right under the nose of concerned officials even during late night hours.

This reporter who visited the site last Friday late evening, found a JCB machine (which should have been impounded) and local sources said the JCB machine was in use just a few hours before.

Some sources in the Calangute Panchayat, including a ward member claimed that a powerful North Goa politician who runs several hospitality outlets is influencing the authorities to go slow on the case, in spite of the HC order, as he is a sleeping partner in the hotel project fronted by one Rajasthan businessman Akhil Gupta.

The High Court of Bombay at Goa in a recent order had stayed the construction and excavation work in Survey no 214/7A at Cobravaddo, Calangute and also directed the Calangute panchayat officials to immediately visit the site and file their say, after petitioner Anthony Lopes, a resident of Calangute, moved the court for relief.

Lopes, a senior citizen, had dashed off several written complaints to various government departments including the Calangute Panchayat, after his compound wall collapsed (in an adjoining plot) and there was a visible threat of major damage to his residential-cum-commercial building due to the irresponsible excavation being carried out in the adjacent plot by a Rajasthan resident and businessman Akhil Gupta and his staff who were excavating the soil to construct a hotel.

Lopes was forced to knock on the doors of the High Court when his pleas fell on deaf ears and local authorities turned a blind eye to his requests.

Due to the excavation work with heavy machinery, cracks developed in the petitioner’s building structure causing visible damage, his lawyer told the court.

In spite of several complaints to the concerned authorities, no action was forthcoming even as the hotelier Gupta continued with the “dangerous” excavation work, including hill cutting, Lopes told the court.

A division bench of the HC observed in its order, “Considering the material on record, prima facie a case is made out to restrain the respondent Akhil Gupta from undertaking any excavation or other activities in the property in the village of Calangute.”

However, this reporter found that hill-cutting was still going on, more than 24 hours after the order was passed and the JCB machine used for the purpose was not impounded or seized by the Calangute Panchayat authorities.

The petitioner’s counsel also told the court that soon after the writ petition was filed, the Talathi of Calangute submitted a report to the Mamlatdar recommending construction of a retaining wall at the earliest to avoid further uncertainties, The Goan reported.

The High Court also instructed the Calangute panchayat to immediately visit the site and take note and investigate the allegations made by Lopes and accordingly file an affidavit explaining its position and stand in the matter.

The court further directed the Collector, Deputy Collector, NGPDA and Calangute Police Inspector, to ensure that no further activity takes place in Survey no 214/7A.

With all these directions from the top court in the State, work at the site was still going on when we visited the venue with heavy machinery seen on the spot.

In spite of several attempts to contact Gupta for his version, he was unavailable for comment. We will update this report if he responds to us.