PANJIM: Nearly a fortnight after the ‘Goa Regularization of Unauthorized Construction Ordinance, 2016’ was notified, the State government is yet to appoint the ‘authorized officer’, the competent authority to scrutinize applications and pass the regularization order.
The State government issued the ordinance on June 24 to provide for regularization of unauthorized constructions in Goa existing before February 28, 2014. As per the ordinance, the government has to appoint an authorized officer not below the rank of Collector to scrutinize applications and pass an order of regularization.
Speaking to Herald, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Revenue Francis D’Souza said they are yet to appoint and notify the designated officer, even as the rules and procedures have been drafted.
“We have already drafted the rules and procedures as how to go ahead with the regularization process. Fess structures are also designed. We have to now notify an authorized officer who would be the competent authority to deal with it,” D’Souza said.
The Collector and Mamlatdar have been directed to identify constructions which are unauthorized or any part of it which is unauthorized and have not applied for regularization, within 180 days of the ordinance coming into force.
As per the ordinance, the person who has carried out unauthorized construction before the cutoff date can make an application to the authorized officer, who would then scrutinize and decide accordingly.
