Enough is Enough to move court on casinos, hill cutting

Panaji: The core committee of the Enough is Enough movement met on Saturday and decided to file two writ petitions in the coming weeks, one against the new off-shore casino and another challenging hill-cutting permissions granted under Section 17A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.The decision was taken at a meeting led by retired chief justice of the Allahabad high court Ferdino Rebello. Activists said the petitions will focus on alleged irregularities in casino operations and permissions for hill cutting and filling of low-lying areas. “The writ petition regarding the casino has been drafted. We are looking at some issues and by next week we will go ahead and file,” Rebello said.He added that the movement will also move court against Section 17A of the Goa TCP Act, 1974, seeking to halt permissions for cutting hill slopes and filling low-lying areas. Rebello said such permissions are being granted despite the absence of rules under the Planning Act since 1997.The movement also plans legal action against casino companies that allegedly operated without valid govt notification. Rebello said the last notification was issued in April 2023 and another in Jan 2025 with retrospective effect. The committee also resolved to form groups in Goa’s 12 blocks within 15 days to mobilise public opinion against large-scale land conversions. Social Activists from North and South Goa were assigned to coordinate the initiative.