In a hard-hitting interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, Goa MLA Michael Lobo addresses the catastrophic fire at ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ that claimed 25 lives. Lobo admits to systemic failures, stating that local panchayats lack the power to regulate nightclubs and proposing that the Home Department, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, take charge of licensing. He responds to allegations that clubs, including those sealed after the tragedy, reopened for New Year’s Eve without valid fire or coastal regulation permits. Lobo emphasizes that a new policy is ‘in process’ while acknowledging the grave safety lapses.