Save Sinquerim Hill: Residents Vow to Fight Hotel Project Tooth and Nail

Save Sinquerim Hill: Residents Vow to Fight Hotel Project Tooth and NailCalangute : In a resounding show of defiance, hundreds of residents from Sinquerim, Candolim, Calangute, and surrounding villages formed a human chain, pledging to oppose a controversial hotel project on Sinquerim Hill.The land, which was originally acquired by the state government for public utility, has now been leased to a private hotel company at an annual rate of just ₹2,000-2,500 per square meter. This move has enraged locals, who view it as a blatant act of commercial exploitation at the cost of Goa’s environment and heritage.“We will fight this project till our last breath,” declared an impassioned resident. “We will not allow our hill to be destroyed for greed and profit.”Premand Divkar, President of the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF), accused the government of betraying public trust. “This land belongs to the people of Goa, not private developers. We will not rest until the project is scrapped and the land is returned to the community.”The protest has also drawn attention to other contentious land issues in the area. Residents have raised concerns over Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s alleged illegal construction in a no-development zone, as well as the Archaeological Survey of India’s reported attempt to build a structure near the historic Aguada Fort.