PANJIM: Trouble seems to be in store for many illegal structures that have mushroomed within the No Development Zone (NDZ)/Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas in the coastal belt of Anjuna.
The Anjuna-Caisua Village Panchayat on Saturday issued a public notice to owners/occupants of 175 structures situated within (NDZ)/ (CRZ) areas, asking them to produce documents such as construction licence or permission issued if any by the panchayat to determine the legality of the structures as per Section 66 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act.
The owners/occupants having structures, cottages, restaurants etc have been asked to produce construction licence/permissions to the panchayat within five days of the publication of the notice. In the event if such documents are not produced then the panchayat willinitiate take appropriate action under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act as per the direction of the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
During the hearing of public interest litigation (suo motu) on illegal constructions on April 26, 2023, the High Court had quashed and set aside the resolutions passed by the panchayat on six different dates and directed the panchayat to decide and pass necessary orders on show cause notices issued to the occupants/owners of 175 structures afresh, within two months.
The Court has also made clear that the production of house tax receipts or the trade licence or electricity bills or water bills to prove the legality of the structures would be irrelevant and that the sole criteria for the panchayat’s decision under that provisions would be, whether it has issued a valid building licence under the Act.
