Govt, hotel owner in tangle over beach stretch SANJAY BANERJEE TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2003 12:22:51 AM ]
PANAJI: A face off between the town and country planning minister, Atanasio Monserrate and the owners of a star hotel, Cidade de Goa in Dona Paula, close to the capital, over the access to the 250 metre Vainguinim beach stretch has repercussions for the tourism industry.
Auduth Timblo, the chairman of Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited, which operates the star hotel, said, "Mr Monserrate, the local MLA of the area accompanied the officials, a posse of policemen and workers on Monday who broke the swivel gate on the west side of the pathway to the beach. It is clear that the action is in total violation of all legal process and is intended as an act of intimidation, harassment and persecution. There was no obstruction for a pedestrian and the least that the authorities could have done was to have issued a notice. It is a private property and any job to be done here has to be intimated to the resort for action."
Mr Monserrate told The Times of India that he was merely implementing the court order that says "that there would be a three metre road that is tarred and maintained for vehicles and kept open all 24 hours of day and night. The people of my constituency were being prevented from free access and as their representative I would even relinquish my office."
He squarely held the government authorities for not having carried out the judgement of the court dated April 25, 2000
The managing director of the Fomento Resorts and Hotels, Anju Timblo said the "final order on the pathways and other issues was pending with the Supreme Court and in this instance the minister had arrogated law in his hand. There is always a procedure but in this episode it was violated. Since 1979 when the clearance was given to us by the chief town planner for the construction of the property based on the provision of the traditional access to the beach we have never received any complain. We want to make it clear that we have not monopolised the beach."
The Timblos said that in the past also "intimidatory tactics has been used on the hotel industry in South Goa . Inquiries have been made of what help can be provided from the concerned travel and tourism organisations. We are considering our options-legal advice and also informing the chief minister."
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