Team Herald
PANJIM: The Investment Promotion Board (IPB) has withdrawn the ‘in-principle’ approval given to the Eco Recreational Floating Platform for the Mini India Park at Cortalim following a Public Interest Litigation filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa by Goa Foundation.
The High Court disposed the PIL following the IPB submission that the approval granted on July 18, 2016 has been withdrawn and also the submission from the panchayat of Quelossim-Cortalim that the provisional NOC has been withdrawn
“We also do not find that it is necessary to keep the Public Interest Litigation pending as, both the Board as well as panchayat have withdrawn their approval granted, which was the cause raised in the petition. We make it clear that we are disposing of the Public Interest Litigation in view of the orders passed by the authorities, and we have not gone into merits of the inter se dispute”, the HC order read.
The panchayat submitted that after receiving IPB’s revocation of in-principle approval the issue was discussed in the meeting and it was unanimously resolved to revoke the provisional NOC granted to the project.
Through the PIL, Goa Foundation had appealed to set aside the approval to the Eco Recreational Floating Platform for Mini India Park, with five star category resort, housing boats, floating cottages and water sports. Goa Foundation had also said that the provisional NOC granted by the panchayat on September 27, 2016 is illegal.
The project had faced public resistance. Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha had also objected to the project stating that it falls in a no development zone.
