Corruption Rules: Besides GCZMAs inaction, BDO and DoP fail to seal illegal structure violating CRZ norms on Calangute beach

PANAJI: Even as the concerned Block Development Officer (BDO) acted in sealing Hotel Royal Star (Bloo Resort) bearing House No. 528/1 in Survey No. 329 /4 and 329/11 of Anjuna Village at Vagator, which was ordered to be actioned by the Village Panchayat of Anjuna-Caisua, the BDO’s office  as well as the Director of Panchayats (DoP) in Goa are going extremely slow in the case of an illegal structure in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) within 200 meters of the High Tide Line on Calangute beach.

The illegal structure being House No. 5/154 situated in Survey No. 176/16-B of Calangute VP has been the focus of a legal battle and the Calangute VP had issued a demolition order against the structure in March 2021, after locals filed written complaints with the office of the Village Panchayat (VP).

For reasons best known to the Panchayat, the demolition order was never executed, giving the owners enough time to knock on the doors of the Director of Panchayats in an appeal.

While no stay or restraining order was granted by the Additional DoP (I), which is presently hearing the matter, the VP and the BDOs office could have moved for sealing the property, opines Adv Alfred D’costa, a senior lawyer handling property matters in South Goa.

Goa Against Corruption activist Minakshi Shinde who has approached the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court in this matter alleged that even the concerned Block Development Officer (BDO) and other officials at the VP and DoP have been handsomely bribed to avoid action in this case as the project is supported by the powerful politician from the North Goa belt.

The members, secretary and sarpanch of the Calangute Village Panchayat, which social activists allege have been very well paid or bribed by the owners of the illegal structure to look the other way, did not even attempt any action to seal the premises, pending an appeal in the DoP.

The ownership of the illegal structure, which was earlier owned by M/s Convention Hotels Pvt Ltd, was later on sold to a Delhi-based businessman Rajiv Arora, who is the present owner and who even tried to block the traditional pathways to other neighbouring houses, leading to fights and police complaints.

The lawyer appointed by the Calangute Village Panchayat in the matter before the DoP, seems to be content letting the matter drag on indefinitely with more than a year having gone by.

Mysteriously, the former secretary of the Calangute Village panchayat even issued an NOC to the owners of the illegal structure to carry on restaurant business (restaurant license) last month and only revoked it when the media highlighted the case of the CRZ violation.

Coincidently, in April 2012, the Vigilance department had suspended the Bardez block development officer (BDO) Shivprasad Naik for his role in manipulation of the delimitation of Calangute panchayat.

The government had also suspended the then Calangute panchayat secretary Subodh Prabhu, clerk Fatima Fernandes and talathi Mahesh Samant for collusion with Naik under pressure from the MLA.

There were allegations of irregularities in the voter records of several panchayats and in the case of the Calangute Panchayat, the BDO, secretary, talathi and clerk were found to be shifting names of a large number of residents from the ward in which they reside to other wards, villagers had said in their complaints.

Calangute villagers had alleged that the BDO and Panchayat officials were acting on the orders of the Calangute MLA who had ulterior motives in influencing the Panchayat polls.

Calangute villagers have alleged that the same BDO Shiv Prasad Naik along with the VP and officials at the Directorate of Panchayat are going slow and protecting the illegal structure on Calangute beach as the same is partly owned by the politician who wields a lot of power in the constituency.

They allege a ward member from Madda vaddo, Francis Rodrigues, acting on behalf of the politician is protecting the illegal structure and the same individual was instrumental in deceitfully obtaining the Restaurant NOC without a resolution or the signature of the VP sarpanch.

Activists like Dr (Prof.) Joe D’souza have squarely blamed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for its indifference to major CRZ violations in the coastal state, which motivate further violations, as the accused mostly go scot free, in spite of several complaints against them.

While corruption rules in Calangute, illegal structures like this one flourish without fear of the long arm of the law.