TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: A total of 13 commercial (both non-residential and part residential) projects that are to come up in the capital city have been stalled because of the Corporation of the City of Panjim’s (CCP) decision not to give licences to any commercial projects, which is in force for over two years now.
Developers allege there could be more than meets the eye in CCP’s decision to keep the licences pending for so long. “The projects haven’t got clearance from the CCP yet. Could there be some vested interests in not sanctioning the same? Is it being done to increase property prices of existing commercial buildings or land? Won’t this adversely impact local businessmen?”, a representative of one of the developers affected told Herald.
The decision to keep all commercial licences on hold was taken by former Mayor Yatin Parekh in view of the aggravated parking problem the city is facing. Further, it was decided not to allow new constructions till the CCP bye-laws are in place.
Current Mayor Surendra Furtado reiterated that the corporation was firm on the decision that was taken two years ago and that it was in public interest. “The ban continues. It has been two years now,” Furtado told Herald.
He said CCP was not bound by any rules that make it mandatory to give licences if the application procedure is as per law and if the project is approved by the Town and Country Planning Department or the North Goa Planning and Development Authority.
Included in the list of projects pending for approval is the construction of a multilevel car parking by the Department of Tourism at Patto in Panjim. “It is ironical that the CCP keeps on hold the licence of a project whose very construction will solve the problem that led the CCP to impose the ban in the first place,” another developer pointed out. Interestingly, however, this project is going ahead in any case. When asked how this was happening, Furtado said “They must be going ahead without permission and appropriate action will be taken.”The developers and the building industry have already questioned the delay in formulating the bye-laws, which in turn is delaying lifting of the ban. “During the two years they have had to change the parking rules, no meeting was held for over one and a half years and no rules have been framed,” claimed a prominent developer. The failure to get the bye-laws up and running is something that the CCP will have to answer to, sooner than later, he added.
Desh Prabhudessai the president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India, told Herald it is incumbent on the CCP that if the problem they face is the non-notification of the bye-laws, it should come up with a solution. “If they want changes, they should go ahead and make the changes. The CCP has to come to a conclusion on parking and other space so that the licences can go ahead,” Prabhudessai added, saying an endless wait would be terrible for the industry.
With the issue pending for so long, the CCP had approached the Directorate of Municipal Administration on the matter and the government had opined that the provisions in the Act’s regulations that govern construction in a local body jurisdiction are binding and
resolutions passed by local bodies cannot overrule/override these legal provisions. The corporation is well aware of the legal standing, but the mayor has said that the aggrieved individual builders are welcome to approach the courts. “Builders are welcome to approach the courts. We will defend ourselves,” Furtado said, adding that a couple of builders have already sent notices in this regard.
For now, the deadlock continues.
