The villagers of Chimbel on Saturday demanded to know how the work of the proposed Unity Mall continued when the Panjim Sessions Court had stayed the licence and posted the matter for next hearing on January 8, 2026. Reacting to the statement of the GTDC officials that it had obtained all the permits for the Unity Mall and started the construction work, Chimbel Biodiversity Management Committee and Wetland Toyyar lake Chairman Govind Shirodkar said that the GTDC had not produced six documents along with its application for construction licence. The Chimbel Village Panchayat had denied construction licence since three gram sabhas had passed resolutions opposing the Unity Mall.
Shirodkar said that the GTDC filed a challenge petition before the Tiswadi. BDO who within a fort-night passed an order on November 27, 2025 stating that the village panchayat should issue a construction licence within 24 hours.
This is contempt of court by GTDC as they started the work even as there was a stay till January 8, 2026. There is no provision in the Wetland Act to give no objection to anyone for construction in wetland. But still the Minister claims that he has NOC from the State Wetland Board when no such NOC has been given to Unity Mall. It was suggested to develop forest
areas and to operate a butterfly park, says Govind Shirodkar, Chairman of Chimbel Biodiversity Management Committee and Wetland Toyyar lake
Following the village panchayat, Shirodkar sought time to appeal against the order, but the BDO rejected it. On the directives of the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the Chimbel panchayat filed a petition challenging the Tiswadi BDO’s order before the Directorate of Panchayats, who within two days, upheld the BDO’s order to issue a construction licence to the project. Surprisingly, the village panchayat refused to challenge the order, Shirodkar said.
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Shirodkar added that he challenged the order of the Director of Panchayats before the Sessions Court on December 6 and obtained a stay and called the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary over the phone to inform them that the panchayat should not issue the construction licence now.
“But since both of them did not pick up the phone, I sent them a message. The panchayat secretary wrote that they are only giving construction licence as per the order of BDO without completing any administrative formalities. Although this stay is valid till January 8, the GTDC started construction work the next day as soon as the results of the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) were declared.
Another villager Ajay Kholkar said that the Unity Mall has been thrust upon the people of Chimbel even though gram sabhas had passed three resolutions against it. Although the panchayat secretary rejected the permission at first, he was directed to give an oral order that the panchayat should give permission within 24 hours. He said that no time was given to the villagers for appeal and the Director of Panchayats upholding the decision of the BDO directed that the village panchayat give the permission for construction within 24 hours, According to the villagers, Chimbel is a tribal village and their livelihood depends on the Toyyarlake. In 1908, when there was a water shortage in Panjim and the surrounding areas during the Portuguese rule, the water from this lake quenched the thirst of the people. This water was distributed to areas of Panjim and Ribandar through a special pipeline. The Portuguese government was sensitive about this lake, but the current government is not, they alleged.
