MAPUSA
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has come under scrutiny after it has come to light that the Board had issued a ‘consent to operate’ letter to LPK Waterfront, a club in Nerul.
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the Board has said that no details were available regarding the club’s consent.
LPK Waterfront obtained its consent to operate in 2017, valid until 2026.
The GSPCB’s six-page letter grants the club authorisation under the Water Act, Air Act, and HW (M&T) Rules to operate a restaurant with an 80-person seating capacity.
“The consent to operate and authorisation is granted to M/s LPK Waterfront located in Nerul under the provisions of the Water Act, Air Act, and Authorisation under the provisions of HW (M&T) Rules to operate a restaurant with 80 persons seating capacity,” the letter states.
The club’s management maintained they have adhered to all State regulations and claim to be one of the first clubs to obtain such permission.
However, the GSPCB’s response to an RTI application seeking a certified copy of the consent to operate stated, “No details are available.”
In response to inquiries about the contradictory RTI reply, a senior GSPCB official suggested that discrepancies can occur when the trade name differs from the name on the consent.
However, in the case of LPK Waterfront, both names match.
The official further attributed the confusion to a recent switch to a new computer system, which may have caused a data mismatch.
The incident has raised questions about the GSPCB’s record-keeping and transparency, prompting calls for a review of the Board’s processes to ensure accuracy and reliability in its responses to public inquiries.
