Team Herald
MARGAO: A high voltage drama ensued at the Davorlim-Dicarpale panchayat office on Tuesday, after the panchayat rejected nearly 165 applications filed by locals seeking house numbers, on grounds that those houses do not have proper documents.
The panchayat body claimed that it had kept those applications pending upon legal advice and all the applicants failed to produce the necessary documents.
Former Minister Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar also rushed to the panchayat office and demanded that the applicants be given approval for house numbers. Speaking to reporters, Ajgaonkar said that under the new law, the panchayat can issue house numbers even if the house was built without legal procedure.
Herculano Niasso, Sarpanch of the Davorlim-Dicarpale panchayat said that they cannot issue house numbers to those 165 applicants as they
do not possess the valid documents.
“Yes, we have received nearly 165 applications asking for house numbers, but all those houses are built on agricultural land. They failed to produce the legal documents such as sale deed and forms 1 and 14. How can we issue house numbers to them without verifying the legal documents?”
he questioned.
He added that two persons who claimed to be the actual owners of the land have even objected to the issue of house numbers to the applicants concerned.
Ajgaonkar however claimed the panchayat had the legal right to issue house numbers. “We don’t understand why the panchayat is harassing those applicants and refusing to issue the house numbers. Any applicant who constructs a house and resides in it for 15 years is liable to get a house number,” he claimed.
Ajgonkar also alleged that nearly 75 percent of the houses in the jurisdiction of the panchayat are technically illegal and said he would approach the Directorate of Panchayats in this regard, to get justice for the applicants.
