TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Golf courses are here! The state tourism ministry endorsed the proposal and selected M/s Leading Hotels Private Limited, Delhi to set up a golf course at Terekhol.
While the golf courses would eat into substantial land, and other resources such as water, of this tiny state, the tourism ministry is in the process of examining offers sent in by three other companies interested in setting up similar projects in the State, where land is at a premium and beyond the reach of the common man even for housing.
According to a written reply by tourism minister Dilip Parulekar to the Goa Assembly Thursday, a committee constituted under the chairmanship of the previous tourism minister accepted the offer of M/s Leading Hotels Ltd for setting up of a PGA standard course and allied services at Terekhol in Pernem taluka.
Besides this, three more offers had been received, all from interests from outside the state in the form of M/s Gold Resorts and Hotels, Haryana, M/s Opus Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd, Bangalore and M/s Corporate Club of India, Bangalore.
According to the reply M/s Leading Hotels was selected by the committee for the purpose after following all the codal formalities. The agency has prepared a detailed project report and feasibility report both of which have been forwarded to the ministry of tourism, Government of India for examination and consideration under the large revenue generation scheme. However, they raised some observations and sought for clarifications and justifications.
“While the other offers are under examination,” says the reply.
The promoters of the project, M/s Leading Hotels Limited has agreed to install a sewerage treatment plant for treating the liquid sewage waste of the hotel and the treated water will be utilised for horticulture and watering the green of the golf course.
The reply further says that they have also proposed to construct lakes as part of the golf course for storage and supply of water including rain water harvesting  and install desalination plant with capacity to convert sea water for portable purposes.
 to meet the requirement of the project. However water requirement for all four projects at four different places is being examined.
This query was raised by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco had sought to know whether the government would stop the golf course in the wake of water shortage.