AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
Residents of An juna are shocked that a day after Curlies restaurant was sealed, ac tivity allegedly continued at the premises till Tuesday, with visitors spotted late into the night. The alleged violation forced the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authori ty (GCZMA) on December 22, 2025, to issue a notice for “mapping/ verification” of the site, scheduled for today — December 24, 2025 — at 11 am. “In view of there being no clarity of compliance of the directions of demolition issued by GCZMA and further confirmed by the Hon’ble NGT and Hon’ble Supreme Court, the authority decided to carry out mapping of the structures in the property bearing Sy No 42/10 of Village Anjuna, Bardez Goa, with extensions carried out in the adja cent plots/properties bearing Sy No. 42/9, 42/11, 45/19 and 45/41 on 24/12/2025 at 11 am,” reads the GCZMA notice served to Edwin Nunes and Linet Nunes and ac cessed by O Heraldo. “It is a blatant disregard of the government’s action of sealing and a clear case of authorities deliber ately turning a blind eye,” said local resident Pradeep Harmalkar. “When one seals a place, it means the place cannot operate. Here, it looks like they have only sealed the kitchen and let the remaining place func tion. What is happening at Curlies is proof that the authorities do not care for orders of either the Su preme Court of India or the National Green Tribunal,” he added. Despite Curlies being sealed on December 19, 2025, following GCZ MA directions dated December 18, 2025, locals allege the establish ment was functional from Decem ber 20, 2025 — which was Zilla Panchayat election day. Citizens shared photographs of the well-lit premises via WhatsApp with the police, the Deputy Collector, and the Secretary of GCZMA on multi ple days. When asked why Curlies was allowed to function despite being sealed, Anjuna Police Inspector Suraj Gauns himself shared a pho tograph of the premises with lights on but no visible crowd. However, he did not respond when ques tioned, “How the lights were on, in a place that is supposed to be sealed.”
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Deputy Collector, North Goa, VarshaParab, when in formed on December 20, 2025—with photographic evi dence—that Curlies was functioning despite being sealed, stated, “I informed PI Anjuna for immediate action.” On December 21, the Deputy Collector further informed that, “The PI was informed to deploy police at the place.” Locals, however, said no police presence was seen at the site. Documents accessed indicate that the GCZMA, vide letter No. GCZMA/N/ILLE-COMPL/15-16/80/1086 dated July 1, 2024, had reminded the Deputy Collector and SDO, Mapu sa, of the “execution of directions dated 21/07/2016.” The Office of the Deputy Collector subsequently issued an or der on October 18, 2024, directing the demolition squad to comply with the directions on October 23, 2024. The Mamlatdar of Bardez scheduled demolitions on 16 occasions—from October 23, 2024, to November 22, 2024. The reason cited for non-completion was that “heavy ma chinery could not reach the site, hence manual demolition was carried out.” The GCZMA, according to documents perused, sent a reminder to the Office of the Deputy Collector on January 31, 2025, to comply with its directions. Demolition orders were again issued on February 26, 2025, but could not be executed after a letter from the Assistant Engineer, SD II, WD XII, PWD, Mapusa, stated that work could not proceed “due to unavailability of mobile generator/temporary elec tric connection.” Instead, on July 5, 2025, the Executive Engineer, WD XIII, PWD, Mapusa, wrote to the GCZMA stating “that a joint in spection shall be conducted on 13/08/2025 at 11 am.” “We have reached a stage where if we speak openly, we become the targets. It is not worth taking a risk. Hopeful ly, the courts will intervene again and come to our rescue,” said a local who did not wish to be identified.
