PANAJI
The House of Abhinandan Lodha has acknowledged receiving a stop-work order from the Karapur panchayat for its controversial ‘One Goa’ township project at Karapur, Bicholim, but has vowed to challenge the directive and complete the project on schedule.
In a statement, the developer said it received the order on Friday evening and claimed that a subsequent press conference by project opponents offered “nothing new” beyond objections raised over the past 161 days.
The company maintained that similar stop-work notices had been issued earlier but were later quashed by the competent appellate authority, which it said found no legal basis for those orders. “We will approach the competent authority and take all necessary steps to have the present order quashed in accordance with law and deliver our projects as promised,” the company said.
The developer asserted that all required permits and approvals for the Bicholim project were in place. It said work began only after acquiring the land in 2023-24 and completing the public objection process, during which, it claimed, no objections were received.
Reiterating confidence in the legality of the project, the firm said there was “no lawful basis” to obstruct the development and pledged to honour commitments made to customers.
The company also highlighted its four-year presence in Goa, citing completed projects, contributions to the education sector and CSR initiatives.
At the same time, it alleged that opposition to the project had been accompanied by threats, intimidation and demands for money. It said police investigations were underway into alleged extortion involving certain activists associated with the protests.
The developer further claimed that the name of a Karapur panchayat member had surfaced during those investigations, though it noted that the individual was not a signatory to the latest stop-work order.
The company said it remained committed to responsible development, legal compliance and timely completion of the project, insisting that its promise to customers “stands firm”.
