Team Goemkarponn
ANJUNA: The Leela Club, a five-storey building situated close to Ozrant Beach in Anjuna, is facing scrutiny after reports surfaced that it may be operating without the necessary permissions from the local village panchayat.
Details accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act indicate that the Anjuna Village Panchayat has not granted either a trade licence or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the establishment located under Survey No. 213/6.
In an official response, Panchayat Secretary Rui Cardozo confirmed that the panchayat has not issued any authorisation for the club to operate. Anjuna Sarpanch Surendra Govekar also stated that the trade licence application has not been approved because the establishment has failed to obtain mandatory clearances from other concerned departments.
“We have not issued a trade licence as the required NOCs from relevant authorities have not been submitted,” Govekar said.
The matter has now attracted the attention of regulatory agencies following complaints that the structure may be unauthorised and in possible violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
A joint inspection of the premises was recently conducted by officials from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), along with representatives of the Anjuna Village Panchayat. The inspection aimed to verify allegations of CRZ violations and to determine whether commercial operations were being carried out without statutory approvals.
Authorities are awaiting the inspection report, which is expected to determine the course of further action.
The case has once again raised concerns about regulatory monitoring of commercial establishments near coastal areas, particularly in the wake of recent safety concerns highlighted after the Birch by Romeo Lane fire incident.
