Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) chief Manoj Parab has accused Calangute MLA Michael Lobo of “selling” key areas of Siolim and Calangute to Delhi-based builders, alleging that the legislator is facilitating large-scale real estate projects that threaten the environment and the local community.
Parab, addressing the media, claimed that the RGP possesses documentary proof of these alleged deals. “MLA Michael Lobo is no longer acting in the interest of Goans. He has already destroyed Calangute and Candolim, and now he is targeting Siolim. He is also destroying the Siolim hills,” Parab said.
Rejecting claims that the RGP had accepted money from Delhi builders, Parab challenged Lobo to produce evidence.
“If we have taken money from Delhi builders, then let Michael Lobo come forward with proof. If he provides the evidence, we will shut down our RGP party in Goa,” he declared.
The RGP chief’s allegations come amid growing concerns over rampant hill cutting, land sales, and unregulated construction along Goa’s coastal belt, with locals accusing politicians of colluding with developers to alter the region’s landscape.
Responding to the charges, Lobo dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.
“This work has all valid permits. The people who are opposing it are creating unnecessary trouble. The allegations are politically driven,” he said.
Lobo further clarified that the wall construction in question was meant to prevent soil erosion and protect private property near the coastal slope.
However, villagers and local activists have disputed Lobo’s justification, alleging that the ongoing work violates CRZ norms and lacks the required panchayat approvals.
