News From Rubiya Shaikh
For Daijiworld Media Network—Panaji (CN)

Panaji, Sep 13: A resort belonging to Maharashtra revenue minister Narayan Rane's family, located  adjacent to Calangute beach in the state, is at the centre of a controversy with the local panchayat approaching the high court seeking to stall the occupancy certificate issued to the resort. .

'The panchayat secretary on March 13, 2006, had issued an occupancy certificate to the resort without taking a resolution and fabricating the panchayat minutes book,' said Joseph Sequeira, sarpanch of Calangute.  He said they would ask the state government to take action against the panchayat secretary for issuing the certificate.

'The hotel belongs to Narayan Rane's family and his son had met me for the project. When we found out about the occupancy certificate we had a special meeting on March 24, 2008', Sequira said.

The special meeting resolution reads, 'the minutes of the meeting (which reportedly gave occupancy certificate) stand cancelled and with that all the permission, licenses, NOC ,and occupancy certificate issued on the basis of these minutes shall stand cancelled'.

The resort management when contacted, refused to comment on the issue. 'I offer no comment … I would also prefer not to disclose the names of the directors,' said Arvind Chopra, general manager, Neelam Hotels Pvt Ltd. The sarpanch confirmed that the board of directors has Rane's son on it who has been a signatory on the sale deed.

Sequira said that the panchayat had twice sent a letter to the resort informing them of the cancellation of the occupancy certificate. He said that the panchayat, which went through political topplings and crisis, from October 2007 to March 2008, had the occupancy certificate passed with the help of minority members and the secretary. 'We have approached the high court with all the details and expect to get the matter solved with the intervention of the judiciary,' said Sequira.