Team Herald
PANJIM: The Director of Panchayats has instructed all Block Development Officers (BDOs) to streamline the process of issuing permissions by village panchayats for beach weddings and other events.
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In a circular, Director of Panchayats Siddhi Halarnakar stated that village panchayats should levy a uniform fee of Rs 25,000 for granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) or permissions for events held in hotels, party areas, or lawns within their jurisdiction. “This step has been taken to streamline the process and ensure uniformity in the fees collected by village panchayats for permitting events and weddings held at resorts,” the circular explained.
The Director highlighted that while the village panchayats in Goa operate under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and the rules formulated under it, the Act does not explicitly address the authority of panchayats to collect fees or charges for events taking place within registered business premises such as hotels, party venues, or open lawns.
“It has been observed that applicants, including event management companies, face challenges in obtaining permissions or NOCs for events held in hotels, including beach weddings, where other connected departments or authorities are already issuing permissions for the same,” Halarnakar noted.
To address this issue, the Director has instructed all BDOs to ensure that village panchayats under their jurisdiction collect a uniform, one-time fee of Rs 25,000 per event. The collected fees are to be utilised specifically for waste management activities.
