The high court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday issued notice to the Goa government in a petition filed by NGO Goa Foundation challenging the hotels and beach resorts policy. As per a report in TOI, Goa Foundation has sought a stay and quashing of the policy approved by the cabinet on June 10 that allows use of available open plots in Coastal Regulation Zone III zone for hotels and beach resorts.The policy was notified on June 16, 2011.

The petitioner has alleged that the policy is contrary to the findings and directions of the high court's judgment of October 13, 2006. The court had directed the state government to identify open plots in CRZ III zone available for construction of hotels and to frame appropriate policy for utilization thereof before allowing such construction. It has been alleged that no such identification had been carried out before the policy was framed.

The CRZ Notification has been violated and even turtle nesting sites have been included in the 4,000 sq m which have been now demarcated under the policy as permissible for development of beach resorts, Goa Foundation further alleged. The division bench comprising Justice S A Bobde and Justice FM Reis issued notices to Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the government and the ministry of environment and forests.