4 months ago
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Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant connected Friday (January 16, 2026) said 'Birch by Romeo Lane', the nightclub gutted successful a occurrence past period claiming 25 lives, operated nether antithetic names implicit the years, and his authorities volition behaviour a probe into its violations since 1999.
Mr. Sawant informed the State assembly that his authorities has started an extended crackdown connected tourism establishments operating without indispensable permits and asserted that nary VIP extortion volition beryllium fixed to violators.
The main curate fielded a volley of questions from the Opposition benches regarding the occurrence that broke retired astatine Birch by Romeo Lane, a nightclub astatine Arpora colony successful North Goa that claimed 25 lives past month.
He pointed retired that Birch by Romeo Lane had been operating nether different sanction a fewer years ago.
"The sanction of the nine kept changing. The enquiry is being conducted into the violations of the club, close from 1999 erstwhile it was granted support to beryllium established connected a tenanted land," helium said.
He assured the House that enactment would beryllium taken connected commercialized establishments operating connected tenanted lands.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao demanded that the authorities supply information connected establishments that person violated the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) laws.
He accused the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) of not doing its occupation well.
To this, Mr. Sawant said that the CZMA had received 534 complaints betwixt 2021 and 2025 and had issued 336 demolition orders.
He said that the Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2011, is finalised, portion the Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2019, volition beryllium finalised wrong a year.
Responding to a associated question tabled by Alemao and Congress MLA Alvares Ferreira, Mr. Sawant said that arsenic portion of a crackdown connected amerciable nightclubs, 47 tourism-related premises were inspected successful North Goa, and of these, 17 were sealed.
In South Goa, 39 establishments were inspected, of which 5 were sealed, helium said.
He said that the 22 sealed establishments were operating without NOCs from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and consent to run from the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
Mr. Sawant pointed retired that immoderate businesses took support for a edifice and aboriginal applied for hold of hours to service liquor by paying indispensable fees, and these aforesaid restaurants were aboriginal converted into nightclubs.
Mr. Alemao alleged that immoderate clubs, including those tally by VIPs similar histrion Shilpa Shetty, were being protected by the government.
The main curate past asserted that, whether a VIP oregon VVIP, nary 1 would beryllium fixed protection, and they would person to travel the mandatory rules.
He said that the magisterial enquiry has been completed successful the Arpora nightclub fire, and actions are being taken accordingly.
The main minister, however, refused to array the enquiry study successful the assembly, assuring that it would beryllium made nationalist lone aft a chargesheet is filed successful the case.
No 1 is being spared, arsenic a Red Corner announcement has been issued against Surinder Khosla, the proprietor of the club, helium said.
The authorities volition get to the basal of the occupation by probing into the support granted for a nightclub to beryllium built connected a saltpan successful 1999, wherever Birch by Romeo Lane aboriginal came up.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas alleged that the Bastion Club successful Morjim was allowed to run by taking vantage of loopholes successful the system.
He demanded that the magisterial enquiry study into the Arpora occurrence beryllium tabled successful the House, and the Opposition members aboriginal rushed to the good successful enactment of this demand.
