PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has declined to dispose of a petition regarding filling of khazan lands at Morombi O Pequeno, Merces.
When the matter came up for hearing, the Court noticed that the petitioner Kashinath Shetye and eight others were not present. But considering the nature of the controversy involved in the matter, the division bench comprising Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes stated, “We are not inclined to dismiss the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition for default. In case, the petitioner does not appear on the next date (July 3), we may consider proceeding with the petition in which case we may need the assistance of an amicus curiae.”
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The petitioners have prayed to stay all commercial activities at Morambi-O-Piqueno, and Mosambi-O-Grande, Merces and to bring the land or water bodies and saltpans to its original positions.
They have also sought directions to remove all the filling done in saltpans and water bodies, forthwith and to direct the violators to pay degradation cost from the persons responsible for degradation of environment.
In October 2018, the High Court had stated that the District Magistrate had ample powers under Section 33 of Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, to take action against those involved in agriculture land filling and to restore the fields by removing the filling and construction rubbles.
The matter will now be heard on July 3.
