PANAJI
The National Green Tribunal has dismissed an appeal against the demolition of Nazri Resorts filed by the M/s Elite Builders a partnership firm in which Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo is a partner and upheld the GCZMA’s order which ordered its demolition within 15 days.
Lobo who had filed the appeal via the partnership firm, had alleged that the starred resort fell outside the CRZ area and argued before the NGT that the NGT order was vitiated through erroneously ruling that the resort was in violation of CRZ norms.
Lobo referred to documents purportedly sent by the Member Secretary of the GCZMA stating that the property in question does not fall within the CRZ area. However, the GCZMA had claimed that it had issued no such letter and filed a case of forgery with the Crime Branch that has filed a chargesheet and the matter is pending for trial. The criminal case is pending in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa, where-in charge sheet has also been filed. But no final decision has been passed in the matter as yet.
The NGT also rejected Lobo’s argument that the previous owners of the property had a valid permission for construction issued in the year 1989 and had even constructed a plinth with the intent to build a residential building but failed to complete the construction, which he did after buying the property in 2006.
