Sant Andre MLA Viresh Borkar has levelled serious allegations of corruption and irregularities in the permission process for the controversial Bambolim project, targeting construction activities carried out by Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment.
Borkar, along with activists from the Revolutionary Goans (RG), has protested against what they call illegal practices at the site — including unauthorised tree felling, excavation on steep hill slopes that threaten aquifers, and construction without mandatory environmental clearances. He claims these activities violate the Environment Protection Act and the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010. Borkar has demanded that an FIR be registered against the developers and officials allegedly complicit in the violations.
In defence, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane maintained that all permissions were issued in line with the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Rules. He stressed that the area falls under a settlement zone as per the Regional Plan 2021. Rane highlighted a loophole in the current system, where approvals are granted based on certifications submitted by chartered engineers or surveyors, documents that are rarely cross-verified by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department, making the process overly reliant on self-declarations.