PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa directed the Canacona Municipal Council Chief Officer and the South Goa Deputy Collector to seal two illegal structures, which had no construction licences and occupancy certificates, until further orders.
While hearing a writ petition filed by Trajano D’Mello, the Court stated that the direction must be complied with within the next two days, and a compliance report must be filed in the Court.
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Representing the two respondents Abhay Naik Dessai and Shirish Naik Dessai, Adv J J Mulgaonkar stated that respondents will file their replies by June 12. Adv Mulgaonkar further told the Court that both the respondents had not obstructed the site inspection and, in any case, will not obstruct it. Accordingly, the Court asked the municipal council and the deputy collector to inspect the site and to check if there was a complaint about not obtaining any conversion sanad.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the Deputy Collector had already initiated proceedings for illegal conversion even as the Court pointed out that this was another reason why the premises put up without prima facie obtaining any conversion sanad, need to be sealed immediately.
During the last hearing, the division bench comprising Justices Mahesh Sonak and Valmiki Menezes had directed both the respondents not to obstruct inspection of the structures after they had strongly objected to conducting any site inspection on the ground that the structures were put up
by them around eight years ago and that they had
obtained all permissions to run the business in the premises.
However, the municipal counsel Adv Usgaonkar had said that till date no construction licence or occupancy certificate was produced by them.
Meanwhile, the Court allowed petitioner’s counsel Adv Sahil Sardessai to amend the petition and cause title and to make it a PIL writ petition. The matter will now be heard on June 12.
