TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday reprimanded North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) for allowing illegal constructions to come up on NGPDA land, right in front of its office at Mala, Panjim, ‘in full view of the NGPDA officials’.
The Court also ordered the Tiswadi Mamlatdar Laxmikant Desai to seal two of the illegal structures including ground plus two floors and RCC structure within the next four days and to file a compliance report by May 8.
Hearing a writ petition filed by former CCP councillor Menino Da Cruz, Vinayak Mahale and Amey Naik, the division bench comprising Justices Mahesh Sonak and Valmiki Menezes pointed out that structures were illegal and unauthorised and had no occupancy certificate.
The court noted that in spite of show cause notices-cum-stop work order, the private respondents had carried out construction in complete defiance of these notices. The court has now asked both – NGPDA and the CCP to decide on show cause notices within a period of four weeks.
The third structure, in which the respondents are residing along with their mother, will not be sealed for now, the court said.
The Court has asked the Member Secretary of NGPDA as well as CCP to file affidavits before June 14 regarding the encroachment in the government land and the action taken thereon.
Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, Adv Rohit Bras de Sa told the Court that there was deliberate refusal and inaction on the part of the NGPDA and other authorities in initiating action against the illegal occupiers of the illegal structures constructed by Paul Fernandes and Aleixo Fernandes in the government land at Mala-Panjim.
