THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Royla Fernandes, a Benaulim resident, who has been fighting to construct the Western Bypass stretch from Seraulim to Varca on stilts, has now filed an intervention petition to the High Court that the intervenor be impleaded as party-respondent to the aforesaid public interest litigation (suo motu). The petition will come up for hearing today.
She prayed that in the alternative that the intervenor be permitted to intervene and be added to the array of parties in such capacity that the parties be directed to furnish the intervenor with copies of the affidavits filed by them.
"I have asked the High Court to permit me to file such an affidavit, reply, as also material, records and documents, as may become necessary, on the record of public interest litigation, and to be heard in the matter before it is disposed of, '' said Fernandes.
She further stated that the intervenor is a stakeholder in the situation, vitally interested in the subject matter of the aforesaid public interest litigation, and as such is constrained to seek impleadment, intervention in the present case, to place on record such material and to urge such submissions.
"If, however, the intervenor is not impleaded, to the PIL, any decision, without considering her case, may adversely affect the rights and interests of the residents of the locality, and the intervenor. Great, manifest, irreparable and in fact, incalculable loss, harm and prejudice will be occasioned to the said residents of the locality, if the matter is heard and decided without impleading the intervenor," Fernandes said in the intervention petition.
Royla said that there are inputs that the court has asked the concerned authorities to go ahead with the work of construction of western bypass, despite the case being pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Reportedly, after the petition filed by the Royla to build the western bypass stretch from Seraulim to Varca on stilts, in order to avoid destruction to the environment, NGT had directed the concerned authorities of the Goa government to form a 10-members committee to study the matter.
The said committee has already inspected the site and discussed the issue in the meeting held recently in South Goa district Collectorate. However, the Royla has expressed doubts that the way the 10-members committee is handling the issue; they are planning to bulldoze the environment.
