Goa Land Act: SC dismisses pleas challenging validity of amendments

New Delhi, Mar 29: The Supreme Court today dismissed petitions challenging the validity of amendments made in the 114-year-old Land Acquisition Act to save a portion of a five-star resort in Goa which was earlier ordered to be demolished.

"We find no merit in the petitions. We uphold the validity of the amendments made to the Land Acquisition Act," a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Prafulla C Pant said.

In 2009, Goa government promulgated an ordinance to amend the law in order to save a portion of five-star resort of Cidade de Goa, owned by Fomento Resorts and Hotels, which had been ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court.

The apex court, on January 21, 2009 had ordered the demolition of the portion which houses 54 hotel rooms besides a health club, conference and business rooms and other facilities.

The court had given the order as the hotel management violated certain guidelines in the agreement reached between the government and the resort.

The state had decided to promulgate an ordinance amending the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 so that the government is empowered to modify any agreement with the hotel management to meet any exigencies.

The Dona Paula-based resort was given land by the government under certain conditions, including public access to the beach.

PTI