Team Herald
PANJIM: Anguish over the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority’s (GCZMA) attitude to act towards the illegal structures in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, the National Green Tribunal questioned as “when the law protector becomes the law violator, how will the law be protected?”
The NGT Western Zone Bench at Pune also said that the GCZMA’s “negligent” attitude is “indirectly” helping illegalities to continue and that the moment citizens start feeling helpless, it will damage democracy.
The Bench came down heavily on the Authority for failing to take action of violations of CRZ norms.
“The notification issued in 1991 has not been complied with till date and with the conspiracy aid and assistance of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the polluters and violators of law are still continuing their activities,” an NGT Bench comprising Justices Sheo Kumar Singh and Satyawan Singh Garbyal said.
“When the law protector becomes the law violator, how will the law be protected?” it added.
“Under the guise of this pending appeal, the GCZMA promotes only the appeal, fails to submit the reply and (is) continuously delaying in filing a reply and thus indirectly helping the illegal construction and this has become the business of GCZMA,” the order added further.
“In so many cases, we see that old cases are pending and no action is being taken by the GCZMA and replies are not being filed. This is highly objectionable and in violation of CRZ Rules,” the NGT added.
Coming down heavily on the public functionaries, the NGT said, “Harassment of the common man by public authorities is socially abhorring and legally impermissible. It may harm him personally, but the injury to society is far more grievous. Crime and corruption thrive and prosper in the society due to lack of public resistance. Nothing is more damaging than the feeling of helplessness,” the NGT Bench said.
“A public functionary if he acts maliciously or oppressively, and the exercise of power results in harassment and agony, it is not exercise of power but its abuse,” it added.
The matter was transferred to the principal Bench.
