PANJIM: In a major setback to the numerous complainants against the construction of a wall on Vainguinim beach, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) at its 271st meeting has decided to drop the show-cause notice (SCN) it had issued to the hotel concerned in April.
Besides local residents and the fishermen community, Goa Foundation and others had also petitioned the authority and courts.
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Incidentally, GCZMA had earlier informed the Bombay High Court at Goa that it would give its much-delayed verdict on the SCN on October 22.
What’s important to note is that is that after the discharge order was circulated among GCZMA expert members, two of GCZMA’s four expert members, namely Sujeet Dongre and Savio Correia emailed GCZMA stating that they were not present on the day the final arguments of all parties and thus they should not be associated with the order of discharge.
The third GCZMA expert member, Faviano Miranda said he did not agree with the decision of the authority and filed his objection in writing.
It may be recalled that GCZMA expert members had noted various violations, based on which the SCN had been issued.
“The objections raised by Miranda, does not hold good as the authority had verified all the reports of the Water Resources Department (WRD), who had expertise knowledge and have admitted that the work of linear wall has been carried out as per consultation, which has been directed by the authority in its 152nd meeting held in 2017,” said GCZMA.
The authority further stated that the allegation that the construction took place in a No Development Zone (NDZ) holds no substance given the reports of the Inquiry Committee appointed by GCZMA in 2007 that stated that the linear wall had already existed prior to 1991.
GCZMA also said the report filed by Additional Collector-1 North who had carried out an inspection as well, stated that there is no encroachment made by the hotel.
GCZMA said it’s clear that the hotel had carried out the work as per the approval granted by GCZMA in their property as per the drawings/plans in consultation with WRD.
