TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The government and the Town and Country Planning Department came in for severe criticism from the Forum of Salcete Sarpanchas on Saturday, with the panel accusing the government authorities for undermining the authority of local self government bodies.
The Forum also pooh-poohed the completion certificates by the Town and Country Planning Department, highlighting the fact that many such certificates have been issued without completion of the building in all respects.
At a meeting of the Forum held at the Sao Jose de Areal Panchayat, the issue of government authorities undermining the functioning of Panchayat bodies took centre stage with members resolving to approach the Panchayat Director on the issue. “What was visualised in the Constitution for the local self governing bodies is being undermined systematically,” said Convenor of the forum Xavier Fernandes.
District Collector N D Agrawal’s recent circular to the Salcete BDO on plastic drive came in for special mention from the sarpanchas, demanding to know the authority of the Collector to issue orders to local panchayat bodies. “The Collector sent a memo to the BDO on garbage collection and plastic collection drive, besides a program for handicapped persons. No doubt, these are all positive issues, but these should come from the panchayat authorities. The BDO only tries to follow and comply with the instructions of the District Collector,” Xavier rued, while disclosing plans to call on the Panchayat Director next week to take up the matter at the highest level.
The Forum pointed out that the panchayats are not bound to issue occupancy certificates to structures. “The TCP cannot force panchayats to issue occupancy certificate without completion of work. In one case, we pointed certain lacunae to the Chief Town Planner in the case of a particular building, after which the completion certificate was withdrawn by the local TCP office. This only goes to show that completion certificates are being issued by TCP without taking ground realities into account,” he charged.
The Forum has now disclosed plan to seek legal opinion on the legality of the completion certificates issued by the TCP. “Builders obtain orders in their favour based on completion certificates. The time has come to put a system in place,” he asserted.
