Rumblings of discontent are mounting against the Goa Investment Promotion Board’s in principle approval for the setting up of an eco-tourism resort that is proposed to be set up in Old Goa in the vicinity of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, a State heritage protected monument.
Till date, the Save Old Goa Action Committee has filed more than 5,000 objections to the proposed zone change to designate the area as an investment promotion area and in the process usurp the powers of the local panchayat. The proposal has also been opposed by the Cathedral Chapter of the Goa Archdiocese, who fears for the stability of the protected chapel and the overall sanctity of the Old Goa heritage complex as a result of the eco-tourism resort.
Curtorim MLA and Chairman of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is the latest to turn his back on the project not just announcing, but also writing to the Chief Minister who is the chairman of the Board that he was withdrawing his consent he had given at the time during the meeting of the IPB Board.
Lourenco claimed that when the proposal came up before the meeting it didn’t occur to him that it fell within the heritage conservation zone of Old Goa and seeking that the project proponent was Milroc Goodearth Developers Pvt Ltd, who in his mind is a long-time Goa based developers of repute, can’t be doing too much wrong.
The comments raise questions about the quality of decision-making at the highest level in the State. The developers have undergone ownership change ever since they first began operations in Goa back in the 80s and are today a company whose ownership pattern is, in part, different, from what it was back then.
Irrespective of who was applying for the permissions or what their reputation is, it is incumbent on those making the decisions to not be swayed by who is applying for them and what is their legacy, and instead focus on the project proposal at hand and examine it in detail before approving it.
Taking decisions based on extraneous circumstances like a personal equation, or the perceived reputation of a company serves to dilute the seriousness of the decision and raises questions over whether the right decision has been arrived at without fear or favour.
Lourenco’s comments speak poorly of his commitment to making the right decision after considering all factors. It is just as well that he has since withdrawn his consent only after it has become apparent that the projects at hand are being opposed by the people.
While the government is yet to take a final decision, given that time to file objections continues until November 11, it would be wise for the government and the Investment Promotion Board to reconsider its decision given that the members of the board have themselves publicly admitted that they didn’t even know what exactly they were approving at the time they were approving it.
Not only will it help the government save face, but it will also help heal the wounds that are still raw after the failure of the government to demolish the bungalow that lies barely 50 metres away from the Church of St Caetano (St Cajetan’s Church) at Old Goa.
