Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Goa Housing Board (GHB) to hand over three plots to the petitioners for physical possession within two weeks from the date of the order.
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The three petitioners had approached the High Court challenging the GHB’s decision to cancel sale letters of three plots at Porvorim even after they were adjudged as the highest bidders and the GHB had issued sale letters to them.
The GHB had auctioned the plots at Porvorim on December 14, 2021. The petitioners participated in the auction and paid the entire consideration amount of over Rs 54.47 crore to GHB after they were declared to be the highest bidders. After the entire process was practically complete, based upon purported directives of the government, the GHB revoked/cancelled the allotment/sale of plots to the petitioners.
“However, neither there was compliance with the principles of natural justice and fair play, nor there was an offer to refund the amounts received and appropriated by GHB,” the petitioners stated.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam submitted that the government decision was in public interest, taken after considering the views of the Minister (Transport) and Minister (Housing). He said the government directed the GHB to cancel the allotments so that the commercial plots could be retained as open spaces.
However, the Court directed the GHB to act in furtherance of sale letters dated March 29, 2022, which were revived and after completion of the project, as specified in the sale letter, to hand over the physical possession of the three plots to the petitioners.
