While Goa goes about aggressively positioning itself as a premier global event hub, the growing disenchantment among its people who are quick to oppose any announcement of development has put the government in a piquant situation.
While the government often advocates for these projects as necessary for modernisation and economic growth, a substantial segment of the population, including environmentalists and local communities, argue that this development is unsustainable and threatens the state’s ecology and culture. Recent events in Goa indicate a notable, reactive shift in governance where intense public opposition and environmental concerns are increasingly forcing the state government to relocate, suspend, or scrap major development projects.
This pattern suggests that while initial planning aims for rapid development, local resistance is overriding these initiatives, revealing a move from top-down planning to a more ‘governance by retreat’ approach.
Frequently facing criticism for ‘U-Turns’ or reversing key decisions under sustained pressure from environmentalists, civil society activists, and local residents in large numbers, it becomes difficult to imagine how such projects were even conceived.
For instance, the relocation of major projects like the proposed permanent campus for IIT which experienced a tumultuous ‘merry-go-around’ journey across the state, and the Unity Mall and ‘Prashasan Stambh’ which had controversy written all over them from day one, away from Chimbel.
The pattern of moving projects out of their original sites suggests a government struggling to balance its development agenda with a mounting pressure to protect Goa’s ecological identity and community land rights.
As elected representatives one would have expected legislators irrespective of their party affiliations to have come out strongly against projects which are detrimental to the progress of the state.
But with the shrinking ‘assortment’ that occupies the Opposition benches in the state assembly today incapacitated so much so as to have their voices resonate, the grand designs of the ruling on various issues have never been dented.
It is well-known that development is a central focus for politicians as large-scale projects and infrastructure improvements offer crucial opportunities to earn voter favour, enhance reputation, and claim credit for progress.
While development aims to improve quality of life, infrastructure, and economic growth, politicians use it strategically to secure power.
Aiming for a sustainable and green economy, the Goa government is developing modern infrastructure, including convention centres and better transport logistics, to attract high-value corporate, wellness, and wedding events.
The apparently successful hosting of the just concluded ‘India Energy Week 2026’ has worked in Goa’s favour, allowing it to transition from a popular tourist destination to a premier hub for global business, conferences, and high-level, sustainable energy dialogues.
It is no secret that the state has embarked on tourism blueprints to enhance visitor footfalls in the region with initiatives and innovations which are indeed promising.
But Goans are bemoaning the fact that their quality of life and local culture are being sidelined to cater to a fast-growing, highly commercialised tourism industry, where tourists are being given preference over residents. This feeling stems from the belief that ‘Goa’s soul’ Is being sacrificed for profit, with uncontrolled development impacting the environment, infrastructure, and social fabric.
The prevalent sentiment on the ground suggests that the development is seen as being forced upon the state without considering the carrying capacity of its small size.
The idea that no region can afford to remain backward as it risks plunging residents into a dark-age of poverty and underdevelopment aligns with the core principles of modern economic and social development.
For any region, the lack of development is not just an economic issue; it is a structural failure that creates profound social inequalities, hindering progress, and leaving behind a population that cannot fully participate in the modern world. However, in pursuing a development agenda, it is crucial for the government to ensure that it does not cause harm to the environment and that it addresses the needs of all, particularly through localised, inclusive tactics.
But the manner in which the state is seen bulldozing ahead with a development mantra with no compunctions about timelines being thrown haywire speaks of an approach that prioritizes rapid, high-visibility progress over established procedures, environmental safeguards, and realistic schedules.
Moreover, the results of such progress are often transient, flawed, or fail to achieve the level of enduring, high-quality success that was intended or expected. Envisaged as ‘masterpieces’ during conceptualization, they however end up as ‘defective products of an engineering oversight’.
The recent, fast-paced, and often controversial developments in Goa have led many residents, activists, and observers to feel that the state is increasingly operating as an extension of political and corporate interests based in Delhi, with infrastructure, land-use changes, and urban planning policies echoing a ‘metropolitan’ or ‘NCR-style’ expansion rather than being tailored to the state’s sensitive ecological and cultural landscape.
But having said that, could the relentless, and at times illogical, stand-offs against the government every time a project is announced serve to check the development juggernaut!
A balanced stand between people and government creates a social contract where the government is empowered to govern, but is restricted from becoming a threat to individual liberties.
(Pachu Menon is a senior
columnist and author based in Goa.)
