PANJIM: Taking serious note of the rampant illegal and brute destruction of hills at Ucassaim, the High Court of Bombay at Goa directed the Rio Luxury Homes Private Limited to maintain status quo at the site and stop all ongoing activities there.
The Division bench comprising Justice Mahesh S Sonak and Justice Bharat P Deshpande issued directions while hearing a writ petition filed by Rakesh Naik, a resident of Bastora.
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Though the Ucassaim-Paliem-Punola village panchayat had issued stop work order to the Rio Luxury Homes Private Limited, Assagao on May 23, the petitioner stated that the stop work order had not been varied and yet the work was going on at the site.
The Court immediately directed the project proponents to maintain status quo and to stop all activities and also asked the Bardez Deputy Collector (flying squad) and the village panchayat to ensure compliance with the order.
The Court issued short notices to all the respondents including the State government, North Goa Collector and the Chief Town Planner and posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday, July 5.
The petitioner has prayed that the Rio Luxury Homes Private Limited be restrained from further carrying out any act of development in survey number 6/3 of Ucassaim-Paliem-Punola village panchayat and to direct the police to register FIR against the project proponent under Section 16A and 17B of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.
It may be recalled that the villagers of Ucassaim-Paliem had opposed the rampant hill cutting for a housing project on a land admeasuring 12,950 square metres and had demanded to stop it. The villagers had also filed complaints to the village panchayat and other government authorities but in vain.
