The villagers of Chimbel on Saturday strongly criticised the BJP government after the Department of Tourism issued an ‘improper and unauthorised letter’ concerning the shifting of the Unity Mall project, the Prashasan Stambh project, and matters related to wetland re-notification.
Villagers have termed this letter an ‘administrative blunder’ and stated that the action does not comply with the Government of Goa Business Allocation Rules, thereby lacking legal, administrative, and constitutional validity.
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The villagers asserted that decisions of such magnitude cannot be made arbitrarily by a single department without due procedure, Cabinet approval, and official notification. They emphasised that governance must follow constitutional norms and established administrative processes, not ad-hoc directions.
The villagers have demanded that the Chief Minister immediately follow lawful procedure and ensure transparency by taking the following steps:
Convene an urgent meeting of all government officers concerned to review the matter officially. They demanded that the government should direct the GTDC to formally issue instructions to shift the Unity Mall project, restore the land, obtain Cabinet approval, and publish the decision in the Official Gazette.
Further the villagers demanded directions to the GAD and the Finance Department to initiate formal instructions to shift the Prashasan Stambh project, secure Cabinet approval, and publish it in the Official Gazette.
The other demands of the villagers were to ensure GTDC to submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Unity Mall, along with construction details and consultant agreements, for public transparency and review by villagers; to direct the GAD and the Finance Department to submit the DPR of the Prashasan Stambh project; to direct the Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) to re-notify the Toyyar wetland in accordance with environmental laws and procedures and to ensure concerned authorities conduct a joint survey with villagers, take their suggestions and inputs, and finalise the report transparently.
The villagers also criticised remarks made by the Tourism Minister suggesting that their movement is politically motivated.
In response, villagers stated, “If standing up for constitutional rights, transparency, and lawful governance is politics, then yes, the Constitution is our politics. The Constitution is our political party.”
They alleged that while citizens are fighting to protect constitutional values, the government is engaging in politics that weakens democratic and legal processes.
The Chimbel villagers reiterated that their movement is peaceful, lawful, and constitutionally driven. Their demand is not against development, but against illegal procedures, lack of transparency, and violation of due process. They urged the government to correct its administrative errors and act within the framework of the Constitution and established governance rules.
