PANAJI
Activists have criticised the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for claiming that it lacks the power to review its own decisions.
In a case concerning permission granted to a resort in Bambolim to construct a compound wall, the Authority stated that once such permission is granted, it becomes final and cannot be revisited or reopened, as the Authority does not have the power to review its own decisions.
St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, the complainant, said that when the Authority can issue stop work orders or show cause notice, how can it not review its own permission if there are illegalities?
"We have no option but to approach the judiciary. I will also raise the issue in the Assembly demanding some amendment to the law," the MLA said.
GCZMA has dropped the show cause notice and stop work order issued to a five-star resort at Bambolim pertaining to the alleged illegal construction carried out by the hotel. The show cause notice and stop work order was issued in April.
The complainants had urged the Authority to review its permission granted to the hotel in September 2021 for construction of the compound wall and subsequently had obtained permission from the TCP in December 2021 and March, 2025 and a NOC from the local village panchayat in February 2022.
Goa Foundation director Claude Alvares pointed out that in the permissions granted to any project, the Authority puts up a clause that in case of illegality or misinformation or fraud, the permissions would be revoked.
"If they have got no powers to revoke the permissions once granted then why do they even have the clause. They are basically running away from the responsibility of protecting the coast," he said.
Alvares said that the sole intention of the Authority is to protect the interest of the hotel and real estate lobby and not of the State.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar, expressing surprise said “there is no authority or department, which cannot revoke its own permissions if they come across any illegalities. This is something I am not able to understand,” he said.
Kerkar said that in such a situation, the aggrieved parties will have no option but to move NGT or the High Court for justice.
