The allegedly illegal ground-plus-four-storeyed structure within 50 metres from the seashore in a No Development Zone (NDZ) brings into sharp focus the state of affairs along the coastline and explains the depth of corruption in the system.
Hearing the petition, the Bombay High Court at Goa expressed “complete shock” that a structure of this magnitude has come up in a highly eco-sensitive NDZ without obtaining permissions from any of the Authorities under any of the legislations and regulations, including the occupancy certificate. The structure had no permissions from any of the authorities -- the local panchayat, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, Town and Country Planning, Health Department and Fire Services.
The High Court has included a photo of the structure in its order while giving necessary instructions to authorities to seal the premises and disconnect the water and electricity supply within two days. The court has also observed the connivance of authorities and the modus operandi of owners to buy time and eventually get the structure regularised.
The question here is about the role of the panchayat and the need to hold it accountable. The local body has the fundamental responsibility as a guardian of the village, and besides providing essential services to everyday citizens, it is duty-bound to act as an authority to check illegalities, especially in land development. In the ordinary course, even if there is no complaint, the panchayat should have taken suo-motto cognisance and issued a show-cause notice against the structure.
More surprising is that the hotel is registered with the tourism department. How does this pass muster? The tourism department has been sending notices to unregistered establishments along the coastline, threatening to seal their premises if they are not registered with it. In this case, the exercise to register is reduced to a farce since an illegal business stands registered with the department.
Secondly, the hotel owners have a liquor license but under a different address. Outrageous. It shows that the Excise department has not done its homework of checks at the site. Either the authorities are looking the other way for reasons best known to them, or the owners are highly influential and understand the ‘tricks of the trade’. Or it could be both.
The North Goa coastal belt has been a hotbed of illegal constructions because it is the nerve centre of tourism, and the business is buzzing. We are faced with a situation where only those who are put to scrutiny by the court are facing the heat, while the many others who have blatantly disregarded laws still stand tall. In the proximity of Arambol Beach itself, there are a bunch of violators proudly going about their business.
While the owner of the premises must be pulled up and the demolition process initiated, the Sarpanch and secretary cannot go scot-free because, by not acting in this illegality, they have exposed themselves as partners in crime. Accountability has to be fixed. The trend of the influential and moneyed class erecting structures in violation of the laws of the land must stop. A deterrent must be set before the situation spirals out of control.
