MAPUSA
The Leela Club, a five-storey structure located near Ozrant beach in Anjuna, has come under the scanner after revelations that it has allegedly been operating without a trade licence or mandatory clearances from the village panchayat.
Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has confirmed that the Anjuna Village Panchayat has not issued any trade licence or No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the club, situated under Survey No. 213/6 of Anjuna.
In a written reply, Panchayat Secretary Rui Cardozo stated that no permission has been granted to the establishment.
Anjuna Sarpanch Surendra Govekar also confirmed that the panchayat has withheld the trade licence as the club has not secured mandatory NOCs from other competent authorities.
“We have not issued a trade licence to the club because it does not have other mandatory NOCs,” Govekar said.
The issue has now drawn the attention of regulatory authorities.
Following complaints that the structure is illegal and in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, officials from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), along with representatives of the local panchayat, recently carried out a joint inspection of the premises.
Sources said the inspection was conducted to verify allegations of CRZ violations and to ascertain whether the club was functioning without statutory clearances.
The findings of the inspection are awaited, and further action is likely based on the report.
The developments have raised serious questions over enforcement and regulatory oversight, particularly after the Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident and also because the structure stands close to the beach and is alleged to have been conducting commercial activities without the required permissions.
