*Goa Bachao Abhiyan* c/o 77, Defence Colony, Alto Porvorim-Goa
[email protected] www.savegoa.com GBA/2013-14/1-2 27th Feb 2014 PRESS RELEASE Goa Bachao Abhiyan hails the judgment of Justice Roshan Dalvi Senior judge of Bombay High Court and justice FM Reis which unambiguously states that the Aldeia de Goa construction [plans are illegal] is illegal as it is not as per approved plan. This case has a long history of struggle and the judgment is a victory of people's struggle against illegal mega projects. It may be recalled that the GBA had held a massive protest way back in December 2006 at Aldeia de Goa site to illustrate illegal constructions of mega projects as well as the flawed Regional Plan 2011 that allowed this. In December 2006, the Government issued a stop work order following complaints of hill cutting by the GBA followed by an FIR filed at the Agacaim police station in May 2007 by the Town and Country Planning department. After the Goa State Assembly elections in June, 2007, the TCP department withdrew not only the "Stop Work" order but also the FIR based on the letter from the Government, encouraging the developers to go ahead and publish front-page newspaper advertisements for plots, apartments and villas on the Bambolim plateau. >From the further protests that erupted following this, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat agreed on 12 November, 2007, to immediately issue "stop work" order yet again. In the ensuing flip-flops, the developers started constructions based on a fraudulent plan with the active connivance of politicians and officials from TCP and other bodies, prompting a Public Interest Litigation to be filed in the High Court by outraged members of the People's Movement for Civic Action ( PMCA ) with full support from members of the GBA. Over the seven years, various authorities have blatantly tried to shield the builders, as files went missing together with the relevant construction files from the offices of the Town & Country Planning Department, District Collectorate North Goa, Deputy Collector-Panaji, Village Panchayat and other authorities involved in giving NOCs to a project of such magnitude, and an enquiry was instituted by court. *While the Governments have changed, along with the TCP Secretaries and Chief Town Planners, corruption and connivance with the builders to permit illegal constructions have not.* *It was a shame to watch senior officers of the government, such as the Chief Town Planner and its Advocate General misleading the court through an affidavit supporting the fraudulent plan.* GBA states that no illegal construction can come up without the connivance of authorities. Business was run in these questionable structures with full knowledge of the illegalities under clear understanding of doing so 'at their own risk'. By violating CRZ and other laws this has caused irreparable damage to the environment of the State, and stood as an icon of blatant disregard for the law. The developers have made false submissions to the Court, leveled baseless accusations against the people fighting for justice, intimidated them and caused immense stress to the petitioners and people assisting in the case. With these facts clearly out, the GBA will press for the Order for demolition to be implemented by the government. *If the trend of regularizing illegalities continues it will only encourage those of means to break the law, knowing that they can get away with it with payment of paltry sums of money. * The GBA congratulates the Goa Foundation and People's Movement for Civic Action on this vindication of the stand taken by them on behalf of the people of Goa in the Bombay High Court at Goa. The GBA demands that the Government of the day enforce all the relevant state and central laws, including the CRZ and Section 17A of the Goa TCP Act, 1975, rampant violations of which continue to be reported almost every day from different parts of Goa. GBA demands accountability from the government and its servants, and calls for immediate action to demolish the illegal structures. GBA and groups will meet to press for further action by the Government immediately.. Reboni Saha, Secretary, Goa Bachao Abhiyan
