An unlawful act or a justified campaign?
Depending on which side of the political divide you happen to be in Calangute, the recent and controversial demolition of a nightclub could ether be interpreted as an unlawful act of a vigilante group or a justified campaign by a group seeking to ‘Save Calangute’.
The incident, which has become highly politicised and emotionally charged, has already take its toll: a police official was allegedly shunted out of Calangute Police Station and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo was made to appear in court over an FIR lodged against him.
Accusing government authorities and Calangute police of failing to curb illegalities in Calangute, some youth have formed the ‘Save Calangute’ group and have taken the law into their own hands, in a bid to shut down dance bars and massage parlours.
‘Save Calangute’ members have blamed the Calangute Panchayat for the prevailing illegalities, claiming that they are the licencing authority. The ‘Save Calangute’ has urged Calangute panchayat not to issue any licence to new massage parlours, which would only anger residents of Calangute.
“The Calangute Panchayat has issued a licence to a woman from North Goa to run a Spa & Salon at Gaura Vaddo, Calangute. The Calangute Sarpanch Pascoala Fernandes signed the Establishment Licence (Trade) for a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as fees. This shows that Calangute Panchayat is encouraging dubious massage parlours, while we villagers are protesting over illegalities at these massage parlours and dance bars,” said ‘Save Calangute’ member Nitesh Chodankar.
“We request Calangute Panchayat not to issue any further licence to massage parlours or dance bars. Instead, the panchayat can help us clean the village from such illegalities,” Chodankar added.
Lobo went a step ahead and accused members of Calangute Panchayat of being party to illegal activities.
“The youth of Calangute have been pleading with authorities, local and at the State level, not to allow illegal dance bars or massage parlours, in order to end prostitution activities in Calangute.
“Members of Calangute Panchayat are party to illegal activities, as licences are issued and thereafter, nobody bothers to see what is going on in the massage parlours,” said Lobo.
“The Calangute Panchayat has stopped renewal of reputed massage parlours, allegedly based a gram sabha resolution, only to permit dubious massage parlours like the one near St Anthony’s Chapel at Gaura Vaddo, Calangute.”
“I will also seek an amendment to the law on massage parlours, to ensure that local NGOs, police, local body and MLA are taken into confidence,” added Lobo.
Refusing to take the blame, Calangute panch and de facto leader Joseph Sequeira insisted that the licence to operate the Spa & Salon was given by the panchayat on the basis of NOCs from Goa State Pollution Control Board and Health Department.
“Besides, the panchayat had also obtained an undertaking from the party concerned that the licence could be revoked without any notice or enquiry on finding any illegal, immoral and illicit business,” said Sequeira.
“We had also written to Calangute Police, informing them the licences had been granted to five establishments based on NOCs from government departments concerned. If Calangute Panchayat had declined to issue the licence, the party concerned would have approached the Director of Panchayats, who would have directed us to issue the licence within 24 hours.”
Hitting out at Lobo, Sequeira said the MLA should not have blamed the panchayat for issuing licences, which had been granted after following the set rules.
“Instead, Lobo should have brought about the required amendments so that panchayats could have safeguarded the interest of villagers and villages.”
Sequeira explained that the panchayat had levied a fee of Rs 1 lakh, based on an agreement of Leave and Licence between the licensor and licensee.
“The panchayat has levied a garbage tax of Rs 136.98 per day, generating income to the panchayat and we see nothing wrong in it.”
“There are other authorities to check on illegalities at commercial establishments and so, why blame only the panchayats,” asked Sequeira, while hinting that vigilante groups had no right to blame the Calangute Panchayat for the prevailing illegalities in the village.
