Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Oct 30: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has sought the original master plan and approved building plans of Manohar International Airport at Mopa before deciding on requests by two companies to withdraw their separate environmental clearance (EC) applications for proposed commercial and hospitality projects within the airport complex.
The matter was taken up during the 201st SEIAA meeting held on October 7, following requests from Retail Orbit Private Limited and Velora Hospitality Private Limited to withdraw their respective applications.
Representatives of both companies, along with officials of GMR, the airport's developer, informed the authority that the environmental clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 28, 2015, for the greenfield international airport already covered the development of the airport city. They argued that separate environmental clearances were therefore unnecessary and sought permission to withdraw their applications.
Retail Orbit had applied for environmental clearance on July 8, 2026, for a commercial building and construction project titled 'Interchange, Mopa Goa'. The proposed development is located on Plot No. CP-06-P1 within the Mopa Airport Area at Casarvarnem village in Pernem taluka.
The company had paid a processing fee of Rs 9,66,334 while submitting its application. It subsequently requested withdrawal of the proposal and a refund of the deposited amount.
Retail Orbit has been entrusted with the retail interchange development at the Mopa airport site. The commercial project forms part of GMR's broader airport-city development and land monetisation plans, which also include a major meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) hotel project.
Separately, Velora Hospitality Private Limited submitted an environmental clearance application on April 30, 2026, for a proposed hotel at GMR Aerocity Goa, near Manohar International Airport.
The hotel is planned on Plot No. CP01-P5 in Asset Area 4 and will have 205 rooms. The proposed facilities include a gymnasium, swimming pool, spa, casino and banquet hall.
The project is spread across a plot measuring 9,631.50 square metres, with a total proposed construction area of 27,352.72 square metres. The building design comprises two basement levels, a ground floor and six upper floors.
Velora Hospitality also sought permission to withdraw its environmental clearance application, maintaining that the proposed hotel was already covered under the airport's original environmental clearance.
After examining the submissions, SEIAA directed both project proponents to produce the original master plan and building plans approved at the time the airport received its environmental clearance in 2015.
The authority has also sought details and copies of all subsequent amendments made to the original plans to establish whether the proposed commercial and hospitality developments fall within the scope of the existing clearance.
SEIAA decided that the documents must be examined before taking a further decision on the withdrawal requests.
The authority has not yet approved the withdrawal of either application or the refund sought by Retail Orbit. Its decision will depend on the examination of the original airport development plans and subsequent modifications.