PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday asked the Director of Panchayats to initiate action against those village panchayat sarpanchas, who have failed to set up Material Recovery facility (MRF) in their respective villages.
The High Court slammed the Colva Village Panchayat for failing to set up MRF for effective garbage management and make it operational by December 15, last year, and ordered forfeiting of Rs 90,000 deposit of the panchayat members.
Hearing suo motu writ petitions, the Division Bench Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice B P Deshpande asked the Director of Panchayats to act against the sarpanchas, who had erred in carrying out their duties in this regards and take requisite action, within one week. The High Court asked the Director of Panchayats to see what legal action can be taken against the Colva sarpanch for dereliction of duty.
The High Court further said that of the Rs 90,000 deposit of the Colva Village Panchayat and forfeited, an amount of Rs 80,000 be given to the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and Rs 10,000 to the amicus curie.
During the last hearing, the High Court had directed the Colva Village Panchayat to make MRF operational and to intimate the GSPCB, which will then verify the position and file a status report before the Court.
Earlier, in November last year, the High Court had asked Colva and Rachol Village Panchayat members from Salcete Taluka to deposit Rs 90,000 and Rs 60,000 respectively for failing to set up MRF in their villages. The High Court had also pulled up St Lawrence (Agasaim) and Bhati Village Panchayats for the same. However, both the village panchayats had assured the High Court to make their MRF operational by February this year.
The High Court has now posted the matter for further hearing on January 31.
