PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has pulled up Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for failing to inculcate transparency in the functioning of the authority as per the requirements of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 2016.
The division bench comprising Justice Prithviraj Chavan and Justice N M Jamdar has directed GCZMA to put in place a dedicated authority website within 45 days and submit a compliance report on the steps initiated to the court by September 10.
“The CRZ notification for Goa was issued on October 26, 2016. Almost two years have passed but this important requirement to inculcate transparency has not been implemented,” the Court said in its order dated August 24 in a petition filed by one Frankey Monteiro.
“Therefore, we direct that the dedicated website in consonance with the notification be put up within 45 days with all the information as required under the notification,” the order added.
The CRZ notification 2016 had stated that to maintain transparency in the working of the authority, the authority must create a dedicated website and post on it the agenda, minutes, decisions taken, clearance letters, violations, action taken on violations and court matters including the orders of the court and National Green Tribunal and also the approved coastal zone management plan of the State government.
The Court was informed that currently some of the information as proposed under the notification is available on the website of the Directorate of Science and Technology. The CRZ notification, however, categorically states that a dedicated website for GCZMA is necessary.
“Authority, to report compliance of the creating of the website, stand over to September 10, 2018,” the court said.
The petitioner had approached the Court stating that GCZMA has not acted upon the complaints in time and has breached the time bound directions issued even by the court.
