The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday issued notices to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s younger son, Abhijat, over the alleged destruction of forested area to construct an eco-resort near the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in south Goa.
A Division Bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Prithviraj Chavan directed Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, promoter of Hideaway Hospitality, and the State Chief Secretary, Secretary of Environment and Forests and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, to respond to the notice by March 11.
On February 4, Abhijit Dessai, deputy sarpanch at Netravali, filed a petition seeking stay on the construction of the eco-resort promoted by Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, alleging that the project had destroyed forested areas and by-passed several laws. An ordinance had been specially moved to ensure fast-tracked facilitation of the project which is spread over nearly 90,000 sq. metre.
Mr. Dessai has also sought the restoration of the land by the promoter.
The issue sparked a war of allegations between the Opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently. All India Congress Committee Secretary A. Chellakumar, Goa State Congress president Girish Chodankar, former Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane, and leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar addressed a press conference on February 6. They said that the area, which is part of the 83,625 sq metres-plot owned by Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, was deforested in the guise of an eco-tourism project.
The Congress legal cell chief and former Goa Advocate General Carlos Ferreira had alleged that the project which was initiated in 2013, and fast-tracked by multiple government agencies like the Investment Promotion Board, State Town and Country Planning and Forest departments.
“There have been three governments headed by the BJP from 2012-2014 by Mr. Manohar Parrikar, 2014-2017 by Laxmikant Parsekar and the present one headed by Mr. [Manohar] Parrikar again. All three have been party to nepotism and facilitation of illegalities,” he said.
BJP Goa president Vinay Tendulkar, in response to a query from The Hindu , had rubbished the allegations made by the Congress leaders. “There are no illegalities in the project. Mr. Manohar Parrikar’s son will not do anything against the law. He has purchased the land. We have full faith in them,” he said at a press conference last weekend.
