The owner of the resort at Dapoli has approached the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the demolition order issued against the resort, contending that he is being roped into the proceedings due to Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab’s political rivalries.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justic Madhav Jamdar were hearing petition filed by Sadanand Kadam challenging the August 25 order of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) which directed the collector, Ratnagiri, to take action against the resort and file a report without giving him a hearing.
Also, an order was passed by the Ministry and Environment and Forest (MoEF) on January 31 this year, directing removal of the structure in its entirety and to restore the land to its original condition. Besides, MCZMA and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) was asked to recover Rs 25, 27,500/- from the petitioner as environmental compensation.
According to the petition, Kadam said, on December 29, 2020, he purchased the land at Murud tehsil, Dapoli by a registered and stamped sale deed executed between him and Anil Parab. Following necessary permissions to convert the use from ‘agricultural’ to ‘non-agriculture’, he commenced construction of ground plus one floor and. Although he was to initially use it for personal use, but on account of the rise in tourism, he intended to use it as a resort. However, the structure was never fully completed and till date was never operationalised or used as a residential bungalow or a resort.
In 2020 -21, due to political rivalries with Parab several false and frivolous proceedings were filed against him in respect of the land, claims the plea.
He has claimed that the order and letters have been issued on “thoroughly unreasonable, frivolous, misconceived, baseless, high handed, motivated and mala fide grounds, as also contrary to law and in gross breach of the well settled principles of natural justice and and administrative law”.
