Team Herald
CALANGUTE: The legal battle to protect Sinquerim Hill has begun with the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) raising serious objections against an application filed seeking land conversion for a hotel project before the Additional Collector, Mapusa, Pundalik Khorjuvekar on Friday. The matter was adjourned to March 25.
The citizens stiffly opposed the move of the hotel group seeking land conversion from agricultural to non-agricultural use for 1,38,900 square metres.
The CCF stated that they received a notice of Friday’s hearing only on Thursday at 5 pm, leaving them with insufficient time to reply.
After the adjournment, CCF President Premanand Divkar revealed that the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the hotel group earlier this week to establish a skill development centre at Sinquerim. He expressed concerns that the government might accelerate the land conversion process before the next hearing.
“Their plan was to build a club house with 88 rooms and other facilities, but because of our objection, they changed it to a skill development centre. We had highlighted in two recent awareness meetings in Candolim that Sinquerim Hill is under threat. At the meetings, a resolution was passed that we will not allow any development on Sinquerim Hill,” Divkar stated.
He further warned that if the government insists on proceeding with the project, the CCF will take legal action.
“If the project is started, the entire hill will be destroyed, and it will become a concrete jungle as all surrounding land will also be developed. If all the hills are destroyed, then Goa as we know it will come to an end, and that will finish tourism,” he added.
The CCF previously filed a petition regarding an alleged illegal construction near Fort Aguada at Sinquerim by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Bombay High Court at Goa issued a stay order on the construction a few months ago.