MAPUSA
A site inspection ordered by revenue authorities into alleged Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations at Vagator beach turned contentious on Tuesday after a dispute over access to a property owned by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
The inspection was carried out by officials from the Office of the Mamlatdar and Executive Magistrate, Bardez, following a complaint referred by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) through the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Panaji.
The complaint, filed by Assagao resident and activist Desmond Alvares, alleges that structures have been built and development activities carried out on beachfront land in violation of CRZ rules.
According to Alvares, the inspection covered two adjoining properties under Survey Nos 340/0 and 354/1.
Officials completed the inspection of Survey No 340/0 without any issues. However, a dispute arose when the team moved to Survey No 354/1, which belongs to Lobo.
Alvares alleged that Lobo did not allow the officials or the complainant to enter the property for inspection. He further claimed that an argument broke out during which the MLA confronted him and attempted to influence the inspection process. “Lobo was dictating to the officials what should be written in the inspection report. I objected to this and warned the officials that I would file a vigilance complaint if the inspection was not carried out fairly,” Alvares told The Goan.
Alvares also alleged that officials present at the site, including staff from the Mamlatdar’s office, the Public Works Department, the local Talathi’s office and police personnel, did not intervene during the argument.
An official present during the inspection confirmed that the team could not inspect Survey No 354/1 as they were not allowed access to the property. The official inspection report is awaited.
Michael Lobo says inspection only covered access to property
MAPUSA: Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said Tuesday’s inspection was limited to checking access to his property and did not permit officials or the complainant to inspect the premises. “The inspection was only about the access to my property. The officials came, inspected the access and completed the exercise. But the complainant wanted to see what was inside my property, and he has no authority to do so,” Lobo told The Goan.
Referring to the inspection order issued by the Mamlatdar’s office, Lobo said it only concerned the access road and did not call for a fresh inspection of the property. Defending the legality of the development, Lobo said he had already received a discharge order from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) in August 2025.
“They want to reopen the issue related to Survey No 354/1, which is my property. If anyone wants another inspection, a fresh complaint has to be filed before the GCZMA, and the authority has to issue a new inspection order,” he said.
