Birch Club Fire: Republic Sting Exposes Scale Of Corruption In Goa And The Thriving ‘Hafta’ Culture

Arpora: Goa BJP MLA Michael Lobo made shocking revelations surrounding the Goa nightclub fire tragedy that claimed 25 lives on December 6. A sting operation by Republic TV on the Goa BJP MLA, shockingly disclosed alleged corruption in the system spread across various levels. The ruling party MLA, Michael Lobo, revealed how the Goa nightclub, Birch by Romeo Lane, owned by the Luthra brothers, obtained licenses from various government departments, including the fire department, pollution control board, FDA, electricity department and others. In his admission on the tape, Michael Lobo also alleged the local Panchayat had given Birch by Romeo Lane a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the operations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, however, refused to speak on the issue on camera, citing the ongoing magisterial inquiry and requesting the completion, saying that any remark beforehand would be wrong. Unaware of being captured on Republic TV camera, Lobo raised questions on how the owners of the nightclub successfully obtained the licenses from various departments without fulfilling the norms, saying that he himself is a contractor and hotelier and has a sharp understanding of how the business runs.

He clearly asserted that the officials from all the concerned departments should have inspected the place and followed the law. Here's the conversation that exposes how deep the corruption rots in Goa. These allegations are admitted on tape and are alleged by Michael Lobo, BJP leader and MLA from the Calangute seat:

MLA Michael Lobo: Who are the people who are responsible? Based on this license, Fire, Pollution Control Board, FDA, Food and Drugs, Electricity Connection, the panchayat gave the NOC.

Republic Reporter: Let's have a good interview. Very important thing.

MLA Michael Lobo: See, I will give you an interview, you stay. Let the magisterial inquiry complete. See, talking beforehand is wrong. I know the subject because I am a contractor, I am a builder myself. I am a hotelier, I have got restaurants. I am in the business.

Reporter: Because see, sir, anyways your statement is out with food and media, which all the channels are going to run. Why not you give a proper interview?

MLA Lobo: See, I will give you a proper interview. I want to see what is coming out from the magisterial inquiry.

Reporter: It's going to take 7 days.

MLA Lobo: No, no, no. It will not take 7 days. I have already spoken to SP North. I said, if at all things are not going in direction, I will have to come in your office. Because I am the MLA of the constituency. People are wanting to know what is happening. 25 people have died, have perished.

Reporter: And you are supposed to protest in the office.

MLA Lobo: Yeah, I am waiting for them to come out. See, I have to also give them time. Let them come out with their story. See, why did all this happen? Because all the departments have given licenses. Most important thing is fire and emergency services have totally closed their eyes and given them licenses.

Reporter: Sir, you tell us, the opposition is putting allegations on the ruling party See, without political will, how can multiple malfunction can be seen at the various levels of bureaucracy?

MLA Lobo: See, I will tell you one simple thing. I told you about the foundation. When the foundation has given, the seed has started from there. The seed was planted there and it came up from there. So it is the same thing. All the licenses were issued from there. All the other departments have given licenses.

Reporter: So you are saying that when the license is issued at one level, the rest of the authorities get a chance to issue.

MLA Lobo: They should have inspected. They have not done the inspection.

Reporter: All the departments, fire, revenue, excise, construction, town planning.

MLA: No, no, town planning has not come. Because they have bypassed town planning.

Reporter: Sir, but without their (town planning) permission, how can the entire property be built?

MLA: Who made it now? This is what I am saying. They issued the trade license. Now there was no structure. The structure was made later. It was temporary. The structure was there 20 years ago. Now it has been made permanent.

Reporter: So you are saying that there was a shack for 20 years. Like it happens on the beach.

MLA: If you say shack, it was made of wood. What is a beach shack? It was like this. People were sitting and drinking beer. It was not closed.

Reporter: It was not soundproof.

MLA Lobo: Now everything is done. See, this is what I am trying to say that the local authority has the power. And whatever happens in the jurisdiction, it happens in front of their eyes. There is a ward member, there is a village head, there is a secretary. I am the MLA of the constituency. My work is development of the constituency. Now, these people have failed. and they are trying to push the buck on the government. I'm not saying the government is also right. The government's officers, who have been suspended, they are at fault. Fire and Emergency Services, Director of Panchayat, later, Pollution Control Board, all of them issued a license without checking properly. Now, how can pollution be stopped in water? Where will toilet water go? You tell me. Where will the water go? From the Pollution Control Board. They are issuing a license. There is water all around. You are going from the bridge. If you flush the toilet there, where will the water go? Tell me. The kitchen is in the basement. Where will the water go? See, this is what I have come to know now. So, practically, whatever you wanted, I have given you on record. So, you can go ahead, do it. I'm also waiting for the Magisterial Inquiry report. This is just my finding. As a person from the industry, as a person from the tourism industry, as a person from the restaurant line, as a person from the construction line, I have my personal experience from where we get all these licenses. So, this is my job. Day-to-day job.

Reporter: Sir, last question. I tried talking to the local business owners.

MLA Lobo: I am again telling you, I am not targeting anybody in this case. I want justice to the people of India. Twenty-five precious lives have been lost. I am very sad because of that. There is no politics in this. There is no place for politics. The people who came to the police station were wrong people. They were campaigning there, they came running. The RG party came, the Congress came, the AAP party came, everyone came. Why did they come? The head of the party issued a license and called him there for inquiry. Why did you come? You want to score some brownie points on this? What are those points? Twenty-five people have died. And you are creating a scene there. Is it right? If twenty-five people from Goa had died in Delhi, and if the people of Delhi had gone to the police station and asked why did you bring our friend, our corporator, our head? Would the people of Goa have liked it? They wouldn't have liked it. So, that was wrong. Let the police do the investigation. I am also waiting for the report.

MLA Lobo: I only want all those people who are responsible for the deaths, which is not an accidental death, should be booked under various sections of the BNS Police Act and they should face the trial. And let the court decide if at all they are guilty or not guilty.

Reporter: Sir, my last question. When I tried to talk to business owners in Goa, the local people in Goa, they said that the Goa government is usually very strict issuing all these licenses when anyone has to establish a business, be it a restaurant, a nightclub or any business for that matter.

MLA Lobo: No, a lot of people have come to Goa to do business. So, a lot of nightclubs have opened. More than 50% will not have the fire safety norms.

Reporter: More than 50%?

MLA Lobo: According to me. That is why the Chief Minister has set up a committee to check all nightclubs. How many exits are there? If there is one going inside, how many exits are there? What is the safety protocol? How many litres of water are you storing in your tank? How many pumps are there? Where is your generator? Where are your sprinklers? Where is your hose? Where is your extinguisher? All of this should be there. If it is not there, then close your nightclub and leave. My job was to keep an eye on it. When there was a blast in Mumbai, not a blast, it was a fire in a nightclub. That is when I took a press in Goa the next day. And everybody has carried that press. You check that press of mine. On the fire in Mumbai nightclub. And some people died. I said it is a tipping time bomb for Goa. We have a number of nightclubs which are not following the safety protocols. It was also in the newspaper. So I am waiting for the magisterial report. Because I want things for the future of Goa to be right. Goa is a business, a tourism destination where a lot of locals are doing business. Whoever is coming from outside also is welcome to do business here. But they have to follow all the safety protocols. If we don't do this today, we will have problems in the future. So that is the only reason we need to put things in place. Nothing else. If it was not right, now we will make it right. We cannot say everything was right. That is why this incident has happened. As an MLA of the constituency, I am also taking the responsibility. When the panchayat failed, I had to take the responsibility. We just cannot ignore things. I will call you back. We cannot ignore things. So at the moment we will put things right. I am also taking initiative along with the CM to put things right in all the other clubs. Clubs are in my constituency. Clubs are in my wife's constituency. If the panchayat has given such a license and the MLA has given such a license for fire and emergency services, pollution control, all these licenses should be reviewed. They have to be reviewed. And rechecked. And all safety protocols should come in place. So I think you have got most of the things what I have. 

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