PANAJI
The Goa government on Thursday informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that construction of the Unity Mall project at Chimbel will commence only after all mandatory permissions are obtained.
The submission came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Chimbel Gram Seva Kala Ani Saunskrutik Manch, challenging the ongoing construction of the proposed mall. The Bench granted permission for an amendment to the petition and issued notices to the respondents, including the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), before adjourning the matter to November 11.
The petitioner alleged that the project, located at Survey No. 40/1 of Chimbel village in Tiswadi, is being carried out without a construction licence from the Village Panchayat as required under Section 66 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994. It claimed that the activity continues despite a Stop Work Order issued by the Panchayat on October 1, 2025.
According to the petition, GTDC, which is the project proponent and M/s Comt Constructions Pvt Ltd, the contractor, have undertaken excavation and erected metal sheets at the site in violation of the order.
“Despite the issuance of the aforesaid Stop Work Order, Respondent Nos 1 (GTDC) and 2 (contractor) have willfully, deliberately and in blatant disregard of lawful authority, continued with the construction activities at the subject site, thereby violating the binding directions of the statutory body and acting in utter defiance of the rule of law,” reads the petition adding, “the residents of Chimbel village have made numerous representations to government authorities raising their grievances about the ongoing construction at the subject site as well as the project in question.”
The petitioners further contend that while the project has received a technical clearance from the Town and Country Planning Department, the required construction licence from the Panchayat has not been obtained.
The PIL has been filed in the backdrop of widespread protests by residents of Chimbel opposing the project, which they allege threatens the ecologically sensitive Toyyar or Chimbel Lake.
