PANAJI
The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has decided to waive an additional environmental violation penalty of Rs 1.12 crore imposed on the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) at Dhargal, Pernem, effectively closing an audit-objection case over the institute obtaining ex-post facto environmental clearance for its project.
The decision comes after the Accountant General (Audit), Goa, flagged an alleged short recovery of Rs 1.12 cr from the project proponent for carrying out construction without obtaining mandatory prior environmental clearance.
The audit had pointed out that the institute was liable to pay a penalty equivalent to 1 per cent of the total project cost, amounting to Rs 1.35 cr, along with an additional 0.25 per cent of the turnover earned during the period of violation. However, AIIA had paid only Rs 23 lakh before obtaining the ex-post facto clearance, leaving an alleged short recovery of Rs 1.12 cr.
The matter was taken up by SEIAA after the audit observation was communicated to the authority in February 2026. Following deliberations, NBCC (India) Limited, the project agency, was asked to explain the discrepancy.
Appearing before the authority during the latest meeting, NBCC Deputy General Manager (Engineering) Gajanan R Wanole clarified that the actual project expenditure incurred as on the date of submission of the environmental clearance application was Rs 23 crore. He also stated that the earlier figure of Rs 94.39 crore communicated by NBCC was erroneous and should not be considered for penalty calculation.
After examining the submissions and earlier records, SEIAA observed that the Rs 23 lakh already paid by the project proponent was equivalent to 1 per cent of the Rs 23 crore expenditure incurred at the time of applying for EC.
The authority further held that the additional penalty of 0.25 per cent of turnover may not be applicable since AIIA is an institutional, non-profit organisation.
SEIAA consequently decided that the matter stood disposed of and resolved to communicate its decision, along with the justification, to the Accountant General (Audit), Goa.
The environmental violation dates back to 2021, when SEIAA inspections found that major construction activities were already underway despite the institute having applied for environmental clearance only subsequently. The centrally funded AIIA campus at Dhargal is spread over nearly two lakh square metres and houses an Ayurveda education and healthcare facility.
