HC notice to Goa CM's son, others for "destruction of forest"

The Goa bench of Bombay High Court Tuesday issued notice to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Abhijat in connection with a PIL accusing him of destroying forest area for his eco-tourism project.

A division bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Prithviraj Chavan issued notices to Abhijat and several others, including senior government officials, asking them to file replies by March 11.

The PIL, filed by local residents Abhijit Satyavan Desai and Prakash Bhagat, alleges rampant destruction of forest, specially in the notified eco-sensitive zone adjoining Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in Netravali village in Sanguem taluka, by Hideaway Hospitality, a company owned by Abhijat.

Notices have also been issued to Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chief Secretary of Goa, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Goa, the state Eco-sensitive Zone Management Committee, Neturlim village Panchayat and the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board, among others.

"The petition will set out how the entire machinery of the state government was misused by the route of Investment Promotion Board to grant in-principle approval and granting permissions illegally to the project," the PIL read.

The PIL claims that, on the strength of permissions obtained, forest on the property was destroyed.