PANAJI
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has admitted a review petition filed by Carrick Bend Realty LLP, owners of the Bastian Riviera club in Morjim which it had earlier ordered demolished.
The authority said the plea was allowed and will be heard next on January 8 and the demolitions stayed until then only on grounds of denial of natural justice: notices had not been properly served before demolition orders were issued.
The club was in September directed to demolish eight unauthorised structures after inspections had flagged CRZ violations. Local fishermen and residents had opposed the project, alleging encroachment and environmental damage.
Sources said, a fresh show-cause notice has already been served to Carrick Bend Reality LLP, in which they have been directed to furnish a reply with an explanation as to why the structures should not be demolished by January 7.
In contrast, the GCZMA simultaneously rejected a similar plea from Ajay Kumar Vaganhi, another party facing demolition in the same coastal belt. The authority said his petition failed to meet the threshold for review as procedures had been followed in his case.
The Morjim case comes against the backdrop of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire in Arpora, which killed 25 people and injured some others earlier this month.
The blaze had exposed glaring lapses in safety clearances. A magisterial inquiry later held multiple agencies “ including the Arpora panchayat, Town and Country Planning, and Fire Services “ responsible for allowing the club to operate despite violations.
Even before the tragedy, demolition orders had been issued by the Arpora panchayat but the Director of Panchayats stayed the action, which raised questions and eventually led to the suspension of the concerned official.
Now, the GCZMA's decision to admit Carrick Bend’s review petition once again brings to the fore the struggle of regulatory bodies to enforce compliance uniformly and has already triggered debate over whether influential players receive leniency compared to others.
Environmental activists argue that selective enforcement erodes public trust.
“If demolition orders are routinely stayed or reviewed, it sends a message that violations can be negotiated rather than punished,” said one NGO member monitoring CRZ violations.
As Goa grapples with balancing tourism, nightlife, and environmental safeguards, the Morjim and Arpora cases underscore the fragility of the State’s regulatory framework when confronted with powerful interests.
