GTDC clearance, panchayat orders set aside; work halted at Chimbel; State likely to challenge order in High Court
PANAJI
The Principal District and Sessions Court, North Goa, on Wednesday quashed and set aside the construction licence granted to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for the proposed Unity Mall at Chimbel, handing the government a major setback, which has been keen to push ahead with the project despite Opposition criticism and ongoing litigation.
The Court also set aside the orders issued by the Deputy Director of Panchayats and the Tiswadi Block Development Officer (BDO) that had cleared the project. The judgment follows an interim stay granted last month on the Deputy Director’s order concerning the Unity Mall, temporarily relieving the Chimbel Village Panchayat (VP) from issuing a construction licence to GTDC.
Chimbel residents had earlier challenged the Deputy Director’s decision that dismissed an appeal against the BDO’s directive instructing the panchayat to issue the licence.
Confirming Wednesday’s development, advocate Melicia Simoes, who represented the protesters, said the order is indicative that no work can progress.
“The court has quashed the construction licence issued by the Secretary of the Village Panchayat of Chimbel, as well as the orders of the BDO and Deputy Director of Panchayats. No activity can continue at the Unity Mall site as of today,” she told reporters.
Chairman of the Chimbel Biodiversity Management Committee, Govind Shirodkar, welcomed the decision but urged continued vigilance. “We will inform the protesters that the court has cancelled the licence. However, the struggle will continue,” he said, adding that an appeal from the State to the High Court of Bombay at Goa is expected as part of the legal process.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Chimbel protesters had agreed to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant but warned they would launch a morcha if the government refused to scrap the project.
The legal dispute has travelled through several forums in recent weeks. On December 4, 2025, the High Court disposed of a writ petition challenging the construction licence in view of fresh proceedings before the Directorate of Panchayats.
Prior to that, the High Court had stayed the BDO’s directive after an intervener argued that the officer had no jurisdiction to direct a village panchayat to grant a construction licence. The intervener had maintained that GTDC should have approached the Deputy Director or the Additional Director of Panchayats after the VP rejected the proposal.
The Chimbel VP had refused permission based on a gram sabha resolution opposing the project. During earlier hearings, the State government had informed the High Court that the Unity Mall would move ahead only after securing all statutory approvals.
