Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has informed the State Legislative Assembly that serious violations at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora—where 25 people lost their lives in a fire last month—had already been officially flagged by revenue authorities in 2024.
Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserratte placed documents before the House revealing that the establishment was constructed by illegally converting land within a salt pan and demolishing a traditional sluice gate, a critical water-regulating structure.
The disclosure came in reply to a question raised by Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai during the recently concluded winter session of the Assembly, held from January 12 to 16.
According to official records, the original landowners, Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, had lodged a formal complaint with the Bardez taluka mamlatdar on December 21, 2023. The complaint was directed against the then Maizon Lake View Resort, which was later renamed Birch by Romeo Lane after being leased to brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra.
The complainants had entered into an agreement for sale with Surinder Khosla, the proprietor of the resort. In their submission, they alleged that large-scale construction was carried out without mandatory land conversion or zoning approvals, and that development had taken place on tenanted land. They specifically accused the developer of dismantling the traditional sluice gate located within the salt pan.
The complaint also raised environmental concerns, alleging that untreated sewage from the establishment was being discharged into the Baga river.
Crucially, the complainants warned authorities that the nightclub was functioning in an unsafe structure, cautioning that it posed a serious risk and could lead to a major disaster. They further alleged misuse of open spaces in violation of prevailing building regulations.
Acting on the complaint, the Bardez mamlatdar directed the Arpora–Nagoa panchayat talathi to inspect the site. The inspection report confirmed multiple irregularities, including illegal construction within the salt pan and destruction of the sluice gate. It also noted extensive landfilling over an area of approximately 25,750 square metres, with an average fill height of 1.5 metres.
The talathi’s findings detailed the site’s layout, noting that around 4,000 square metres had been designated for parking, 7,500 square metres for commercial shops, 7,250 square metres for landscaping and water sports, and another 3,600 square metres for landscaping on the western side of the property. At the centre of the plot—where the salt pan existed—two structures measuring roughly 2,000 and 1,400 square metres housed the nightclub-cum-restaurant.
Despite repeated opportunities, the documents state that Khosla claimed to possess all necessary approvals but failed to produce any supporting records for nearly two months.
