Chimbel Unity Mall: HC petition withdrawn amid DoP hearing

PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday disposed of the writ petition that challenged the construction licence for the proposed Unity Mall at Chimbel after the petitioner sought permission to withdraw it in light of fresh proceedings before the Directorate of Panchayat.
During the hearing, Advocate Dinesh Naik, appearing for Chimbel Village Panchayat, placed on record a notice dated December 2, 2025, issued in Revision Petition before the Deputy Director of Panchayats, North Goa. The revision has challenged the November 28, 2025, order in the High Court petition that stalled the Block Development Officer’s order directing the Village Panchayat to issue a construction license.
Naik informed the Bench that Govind Shirodkar, petitioner in the High Court matter, has been arrayed as Respondent No. 2 in the Panchayat revision proceedings, which were scheduled for hearing at 4 pm on Thursday, and that both the petitioner and Respondent No. 1 (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) had already been served notices by the Deputy Director.
The petitioner thereafter withdrew the petition to appear before the Deputy Director of Panchayats. The court accordingly disposed of the petition as withdrawn.
In the previous hearing, the High Court had stalled the BDO’s direction to the Village Panchayat to issue a construction licence to the GTDC for the project. The stay was granted after Shirodkar questioned BDO’s jurisdiction, arguing the officer had no authority to direct the Panchayat.
“When the Village Panchayat refused the construction licence, the GTDC should have challenged the decision before the Deputy Director or Additional Director of the Panchayat Department, not the BDO. The BDO has no powers to hear the matter,” he had submitted.
The Panchayat had earlier rejected the licence after the Gram Sabha resolved that the mall should not be permitted in the village. The government had subsequently told the High Court that it would go ahead with the project only after securing all required permissions.