The Arambol Illegal Hotel Saga : Everything is wrong with Goa and it's rulers.
179 Illegal Constructions in just 1 Wada of Village Arambol. How many more in Goa? And Why, there has been no action against them?
Honourable High Court of Bombay at Goa, directed the local and state bodies to demolish the illegal 4 Storied Hotel built in the “No Development Zone” at Girkarwada, Arambol recently.
While defending himself, the Hotel Owner fiend surprise, that any permission was even required to build structures in Coastal areas of Goa.
What is wrong with Goa of today has been recently highlighted by the “Arambol Illegal Hotel Saga”.
The 4-Storied Hotel Structure, built at Girkarwada sans any permission, either from the local Panchayat or State Government was fully functional, till someone reached High Court, regarding it’s legality.
As the Court proceedings went ahead, a lot of skeletons came out of cupboard; the current Sarpanch of Arambol, Bernard Fernandes (who has been Sarpanch earlier also of Arambol VP and is perhaps the biggest landowner in VP, after Ex-Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar).
Imagine a 4-Story Hotel being built completely illegally in front of everyone; and none of the Panch raised an objection to it; knowingly very well, that it is being built in a “No Development Zone”; but when you are pally with the Sarpanch himself, no one can raise an objection.
The structures surrounding, “Hotel Ojasvi Paradise” have been also built illegally in contravention to all laws, and belong to Father and Uncle of current Sarpanch, Bernard Fernandes.
Did the Hotelier knew this and took advantage of the fact?
When a Sarpanch tacitly allows the illegal construction, it say everything sound and clear about the state of affairs!
“People who have houses built of glass, should not throw stones at other’s house!”
This is the true reality of Goa. Specially in Tourist dominated coastal belt, where Land is now almost equivalent to Gold.
A few months back, as part of “Statutory Notice”; The Panchayati Raj department being lead by Minister Mauvin Godinho; released a 2 page Notice of all the Panch and Sarpanch of Village Panchayats of Goa; who did not furnish their assets, as part of Panchayati Raj act. Going by the looks and number of names in it, none of the Panch and Sarpanch of Goa declared their assets.
The name of Bernard Fernandes, Current Sarpanch of Arambol was one of them.
Why these people did not declare their assets, is anybody’s guess?
These are the custodians of villages of Goa and are elected to serve the common villagers. They are supposed to be the first and foremost in upholding to rule of law, but then, alas!
The grapevine is that, Sarpanch Bernard Fernandes owns vast tract of land inherently, which falls in “No Development Zone” and CRZ.
It is also alleged that, his total income from renting out land and premises is more than Rs.5 Crores annually.
How much taxes to both State and Central does he pay; including Income Taxes is anybody’s guess?
Arambol comes under Mandrem constituency, whose MLA Jit Arolkar is undoubtedly the biggest “White Clothed” land grabber in Goa today.
So, the SHIT stacks at the top and everyone makes merry, unless and until a High Court Ruling comes up.
Lo and Behold, today’s news is that there are 179 Illegal Structures, which Sarpanch Fernandes identified, after the direction of, High Court of Bombay at Goa; in just a single Wada (which is like a Mohalla or locality of the village).
Now since, within a matter of couple of days, the Village Panchayat of Arambol was able to identify all the illegal structures, in a single Wada; why they have been allowed to operate and there was no action, so far, for them; is again, anybody’s guess.
This is Goa, If you have the money; you can do anything here!
A Friend of this publication, “M” which has been mentioned in an earlier post informs that one of the previous Sarpanch belonging to the ruling party BJ Party; has a business of Construction (or rather we should say, illegal).
This guy operated on a “Turn key” basis, and if the required money is shell out, he shall ensure that there was not even a murmur, for the construction being done, at the place of your choice; which included brokering the land deal and getting the relevant changes in the land occupancy and it’s legality.
Be it rampant cutting of Trees, in order to clear the land or the onset of construction, he would be present with his burly presence to dissipate any dissent. For outsiders, usually from Delhi; he has been a Messiah and has a number of constructions to his name.
The fact of matter is that, there are 179 Illegal Constructions in just one Wada of Arambol. How many more in Arambol? Considering this is not the sole Wada which inhabits the coastline?
Says a lot about the futility of Panchayati Raj structure and its supervision by Minister Mauvin Godinho. The blatant truth is that, if you have enough money in Goa, you can do anything or everything here.
Just a walk in Mandrem Assembly constituency would confirm this fact.
All along the coastline, there are numerous uncountable structures, built with total impunity with acts of commissions, with Panches and Sarpanch acting as a conduit.
And they won’t do it, without proper administrative support from the state government.
Money rules in Goa, and everyone turns a blind eye!
Even after such a severe indictment by High Court of Bombay at Goa, Sarpanch of Arambol, Bernard Fernandes is still in office. Conscience and Accountability in Goa is dead since it became a State; and we could see the progression clearly.
The famous beaches in Mandrem assembly constituency are : Morjim, Ashvem, Mandrem, Arambol and to a lesser extent, Keri-Tiracol.
One episode of, one Wada of Arambol, is enough to guess the state of affairs along the coast of all these beaches.
Custodians of Goa are themselves dacoits, destroying the culture and nature of the state.