PIL over land grant for casino use, HC sends notice to govt

Panaji: The high court of Bombay at Goa has sought a reply from govt in a public interest petition challenging the decision of the Captain of Ports and the North Goa district magistrate to transfer a public area adjacent to the Panaji ferry wharf.
The space, including a pay-parking area, has been transferred to a private entity, Golden Peace Infrastructure, to operate a private reception/passenger aisle for casino clients.
Jack Sukhija, who filed the PIL, submitted to the HC that the ferry wharf/ramp, including the pay-parking area, was specifically strengthened and beautified, with the infrastructure for pay-parking facilities created by the PWD for Rs 20-22 crore.
The expenditure was made following the Captain of Ports’ request in June 2015 to the district magistrate, citing revenue generation and traffic management as the objectives. Subsequently, 627sqm was designated as a pay-parking area in 2017.
Sukhija alleged that the Captain of Ports arbitrarily leased a part of the ferry wharf/ramp, including the pay-parking area, to Golden Peace Infrastructure, flouting all procedural norms. The district magistrate issued orders in Dec 2023 and March 2024 directing the de-notification of the pay-parking area, Sukhija submitted. The orders were not published in the official gazette and were not disclosed to the public, and are contrary to the public interest, he submitted to the HC.
The arbitrary transfer of public resources to a private casino operator deprives the petitioner, citizens, and visitors to Panaji of essential parking facilities, the PIL alleges. It adds that the capital city is plagued by severe traffic congestion, largely due to a lack of adequate parking. With approximately 12,000 vehicles entering the city daily and only 7,000 parking spaces available, people are left with few options but to park illegally, exacerbating the dire traffic situation, Sukhija submitted.