Panaji (Goa): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest (MOEF) in an appeal challenging environmental clearance (EC) issued to the Tiracol Golf Course project by Leading Hotels Pvt Ltd.

The notice is been issued on an appeal filed by Agnelo Godinho, Anthony Mendees, Juze Godinho, all villagers and tenants of Tiracol against the environment clearance issued by MoEF on October 11 to the Golf Course project.

The appeal is posted on January 12, next month.

The appeal challenges the EC on the grounds that the Leading Hotels have totally misled the MoEF on the nature of the land. The Appellants have argued that the present land use is agricultural tenanted land which does not permit a golf course or a resort.

They have also claimed that bulk of the land is still cultivated by them and the EC for the project includes their lands and therefore it has been granted without proper application of mind. The MOEF has no authority to grant an environment clearance for a project on lands that do not belong to the project proponent, they said.

The appellants have shown that almost every plot has a litigation pending either at the lower court or the Mamlatdar’s Court.

The appeal has argued that the Expert Appraisal Committee did not deal with the environmental impact of a golf course at the site. The appellants have argued that the operation of the golf course is bound to adversely affect the agricultural lands, their water resources and fishing grounds and that these aspects have not been considered by the Expert Appraisal Committee while recommending the environment clearance.