Team Herald
PANJIM: The relentless fight initiated by ex-minister late Matanhy Saldanha has finally concluded after 30 years, as the promoters of the illegal hotel project, Kyle San Holidays Pvt. Ltd. at Primeiro Vaddo, Velsao, have complied with the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The hotel was found to be in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 1991, with locals alleging that construction took place on a sand dune. Residents expressed concerns over other lands being purchased along the shore by parties from Delhi and urged the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department not to grant further construction permissions.
The case against Kyle San Holidays Pvt. Ltd. was initially filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa before being transferred to the NGT in Pune, which ordered demolition in 2014. The Supreme Court of India upheld this order in 2017.
Camilo Souza, a former panch of Velsao who served in 2002 said, “During my term as panch, I collected all evidence at the instruction of late Matanhy Saldanha, who filed the petition at his own expense. Today, we remember him for his unwavering commitment, which has finally borne fruit,” he stated.
Olencio Simoes, a resident of Velsao, recalled the days when his uncle, the late Matanhy Saldanha, received death threats for his activism. “Today, the villagers of Velsao have finally found justice after so many decades,” Simoes remarked.