PIL raises questions on House of Abhinandan Lodha’s ‘One Goa’ project, seeks stoppage of work and sales

The House of Abhinandan Lodha, a fast-rising real estate brand, has found itself at the centre of a storm in Goa after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court at Goa alleged serious irregularities in its flagship project One Goa. The petition, filed earlier this month, accuses the company of benefiting from policy violations, backdoor regulatory clearances, and a questionable land deal with Goa's Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane. The PIL claims the minister’s privately held company sold land to Abhinandan Lodha’s firm and, in return, used his official capacity to enable large-scale zoning and planning changes that made the project feasible.

The petition alleges, “Clear and unambiguous display of conflict of interest, colourable exercise of power and abuse of power in the direct involvement of the TCP Minister in decisions taken by the TCP Dept., concerning the “One Goa” project in which the Minister has direct, pecuniary interests and agreements.” The PIL alleges that over 25 lakh square meters of land—originally classified as paddy fields under an irrigation command area—was reclassified as settlement zones by the TCP department under Rane's watch. Additionally, crucial village roads in the Bicholim taluka, where the land is situated, were allegedly deleted from planning maps to make the consolidated project layout viable. What has shocked urban planners and activists alike is the speed and scale at which planning regulations were reportedly altered. The TCP department, according to the PIL, also amended the minimum plot size requirement from 225 sq. meters to smaller configurations—allowing the One Goa project to sell more plots and boost profitability. Despite the ecologically sensitive nature of the area, environmental clearances were not sought. “Karapur is a small village with a rural character in Bicholim Taluka with a Census 2011 population of a mere 5,500 people. A project of this size is required to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment and obtain an E.C. under the EIA Notification, as it has a massive potential social and ecological impact on the surrounding area’s social and natural resources. The absence of an EIA would fly in the face of the EIA Notification, 2006. The impugned project, as the first such plotted development scheme in Goa, cannot be permitted to become a prototype for massive land conversion projects to outright avoid the statutory EIA process. This represents a dangerous precedent for Goa and jeopardizes the right to a planned environment, a component of the right to life under Article 21,” states the PIL.

The PIL further points out that Lodha’s firm began marketing and selling plots to buyers even before obtaining a formal No Objection Certificate (NOC) from statutory authorities—a violation that could put unsuspecting buyers at risk. “It appears that without Final NOC being obtained, the developers commenced sale of the plots on 23 August 2024 and as of 19 February 2025, 284 plot sales have been registered for a total combined amount of Rs. 142,22,14,850. As per the Goa Real Estate Registration Authority, a total of 913 plots have been sold. This rapid sale of plots violates Condition 13 of the Provisional NOC, as no final NOC has yet been obtained prior to sale of the plots,” the PIL adds. The One Goa development, marketed as a premium destination for second homes and investment properties, has already drawn significant attention for its branding, celebrity endorsements, and aggressive land acquisition. But the latest legal challenges have cast a long shadow over its future.

On March 20, over 300 protestors—including activists from Goencho Avaaz and the Goa Foundation—marched through Panaji, demanding the sacking of Vishwajit Rane and a complete halt to Lodha’s Goa project. The protestors alleged a nexus between politicians and corporate developers and called One Goa a “symbol of state-enabled land grab.” In its last hearing on March 12, the High Court issued notices to the House of Abhinandan Lodha and the minister’s firm. The matter will be heard again on April 21. The PIL seeks an immediate stay on all sales and construction activity related to the project until the case is fully adjudicated. For a brand that has built its identity on ‘democratising land ownership’ and marketing Goa as a destination for aspirational living, One Goa now risks becoming a cautionary tale of how political proximity and policy tweaks can redraw landscapes—both literally and legally.