PANAJI
The promoters of the controversial construction project in the heritage precincts at Old Goa which ran into trouble with huge protests and demonstrations against it are on the verge of pulling out and selling the property.
Prominent news portal 'The Wire' quoted Mumbai based real estate developer Manish Munot, who is the husband of BJP's Maharashtra spokesperson Shaina NC, saying they have decided to pull out of the project at Old Goa.
“I am on the verge of selling my property; in fact, I have basically sold it,” Munot was quoted as saying in a story it published on Friday.
He also alleged that they were being targeted because his wife is "famous".
Protests against the project at Old Goa had peaked in May last, where protesters took to the streets in large numbers despite the surging Covid-19 second wave. It culminated with the organisation holding the protests -- Save Old Goa Action Committee -- challenging the clearances to the project in a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court.
The controversy, interestingly, has had a fallout in Goa's political arena with the Goa Forward Party (GFP) in the eye of the controversy's storm.
'The Wire' quoted GFP vice-president Durgadas Kamat as saying that its erstwhile treasurer, Suraj Lotlikar is no longer in the party.
Lotlikar's wife, Suvarna Suraj Lotlikar, is co-owner with Munot of the property where the controversial ground-plus-one bungalow is located on the riverfront within the protected area at Old Goa, 'The Wire' said, adding that it was acquired by them in sale deeds executed back in 2015.
Goa Forward Party supremo held the Town and Country Planning (TCP) portfolio in the nearly 28 months he served in the BJP-led government. The TCP department is the apex body responsible for issuing construction licences and other necessary permissions for such projects.
