PANJIM: The Anjuna-Caisua village panchayat has started sealing of illegal structures following the order of the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The Panchayat Secretary, Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO) and the Anjuna Police assisted in the process of sealing.
The High Court had ordered sealing of as many as 175 commercial establishments situated on the beach stretch in the limits of the Anjuna-Caisua village panchayat and to file a compliance report within the next 10 days.
While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) suo motu in the matter of illegal construction on February 13, the Court had asked the Anjuna-Caisua village panchayat and the Bardez BDO to seal these establishments so that they are not used for any commercial purposes.
The Court had directed the village panchayat to dispose of show cause notices issued to these 175 structures. The panchayat secretary has been asked to place on record NOCs and the resolutions, if any within next 10 days. The GCZMA has also been asked to dispose of remaining show cause notices as expeditiously as possible and in any case within next two months.
The Court observed that of the 175 structures, 45 structures had some sort of clearances from GCZMA and of these, 40 structures had no permissions under Section 66 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act. Similarly about 130 of these 175 structures had neither any clearance from GCZMA nor any permissions under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act. Stating these permissions are mandatory, the said that most of the structures do not have trade licences. Therefore no parties will use these unauthorised constructions for any commercial activities based only on trade licences, which village panchayat routinely issues to even grossly unauthorised constructions.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on March 4.
