PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday reserved its order in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the government approvals granted to the Golf Course and Resort project of Leading Hotels at Tiracol, for February 20.
The arguments on the PIL filed by Goa Foundation, Tiracol Tenants and Mundkar Association and others, concluded on Wednesday with the division bench comprising Justice FM Reis and Justice Nutan Sardessai reserving the order for Monday.
The High Court had in July 2015 granted an interim stay on the project, while allowing the developers – Leading Hotels – to construct two model villas in an area of around 700 sq mtrs.
The petitioners had filed a fresh PIL in July 2015 to the December 2014 PIL against the project. The petition was based on what they claim to be fraudulent change of land from agricultural to non-agricultural land.
The December 2014 petition filed by St Anthony Mundkar and Tenants Association sought the resolution of tenancy matters and called for a stop to the work on the project. Following the petition, the Government had appointed a one man Inquiry Commission headed by Sandip Jacques to study whether the land, acquired for the project, was tenanted. The Commission submitted its report in favour of the tenants and found that the land was tenanted and agricultural.
In April 2013, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (EIAA) had granted environment clearance (EC) for setting up an 18-hole PGA, golf course and eco tourism resort at Tiracol, which has been proposed to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. In June, the pollution board granted consent to operate and in December 2012, CRZ clearance was obtained for the project.
