Apologising or withdrawing ads not enough; permissions under 17 (2) should be revoked: Activists

Name: Apologising or withdrawing ads not enough; permissions under 17 (2) should be revoked: Activists
Uploaded: 2024-09-13T14:47:08Z
Description: On the orders of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Lodhas have withdrawn the ad and apologised

On the orders of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Lodhas have withdrawn the ad and apologised

PANJIM: In response to the obnoxious advertisement ‘Delhi, Rulers of India, Now Conquer Goa’ published by The House of Abhinandan Lodha group, Government of Goa has directed the builder to immediately withdraw it for hurting the sentiments of the people of Goa. Although the House of Abhinandan Lodha apologized, there is need to cancel all permission under Section 17(2) as Union Minister Shripad Naik has done.

There is massive advertising blitz for sale of Goan lands shooting up real estate prices. This is fueled by Zone Changing which was allowed by the recent amendments to TCP's Section 17(2) and 16B. These amendments allow for 'inadvertent errors' in zoning to be corrected, benefiting landowners seeking zone changes. The skyrocketing of land and bungalow prices with non Goan players like Lodha, Bhutani and DLF have put housing beyond the reach of common Goans with prices of bungalows ranging from Rs 3.5 crores to 17 crores, with 7 star hotels and pools for the taking.