Activists file PIL against ordinance to regularise illegal structures

PANJIM: A group of social activist has moved the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking to quash or stay the ordinance on the Goa Regularization of Unauthorized Constructions, issued by the State government last month.
The main petitioner Kashinath Shetye cited the recent order of the Bombay High Court pertaining to Maharashtra government’s move to regularize nearly two lakh illegal structures, wherein the judiciary slammed the latter saying, “Court cannot tolerate such things”.
“The legalizing of illegal houses without following law of land in force is a crime by the makers of law by overwriting the law for persons who have broken the law and built illegal houses. Until the petition is heard and decided (by the court) this court should stay the ordinance as done by the High Court of Bombay at Mumbai,” the 29-page public interest litigation states.
Referring to various related Acts, the petitioners have also sought interim relief wherein no houses should be regularized pending hearing and final disposal of the petition. “If, however, the same (interim relief) is not granted, great and in fact immeasurable and irreparable loss, harm and prejudice will be caused to the law abiding citizens of Goa who have built their house as per the law and taking all permissions…” the petition states.
The Laxmikant Parsekar government had on June 24 issued an ordinance to provide for regularization of unauthorized constructions in Goa existing before February 28, 2014. In a recent interaction with the media, the CM had stated that the Bill on Regularization of Unauthorized Structures would be introduced and passed in the coming monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly.