PANJIM: Rampant illegal constructions has come to light in the Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat with the panchayat issuing show cause notices to as many as 45 structures while two lawyers from Punjab and presently residing at Assagao have filed a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition in the Bombay High Court at Goa against rampant illegal constructions.
The village panchayat has already issued show cause notices to 45 illegal structures both residential and commercial under Section 64 (J) and 82 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and has started conducting site inspection ahead of the court matter.
Two lawyers Chahit Bansal and Navkaran Singh have prayed that the State authorities including the village panchayat be directed to hold a site inspection to verify the facts and to initiate appropriate measures under Section 31 and 33 of the Goa Land Revenue Code 1968 and to restore the land to its original by demolishing the unauthorised development under Section 66 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
They have also prayed that the concerned authorities be directed to initiate criminal proceedings by lodging a FIR against the violators under Section 17 B of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act 1974 and Rules 1976.
The petitioners have further urged the Court to direct the State government to hold an enquiry against the errant officers who permitted illegal, unauthorised developments to come up in complete violation of the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act 2008 and Regulations 2010, the Goa TCP Act 1974 and Rules 1976, the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 and the Groundwater Act 2002 and to take immediate action against the errant officers including disciplinary proceedings under the service law.
According to the petitioners, unplanned development will result in haphazard urban or industrial growth. It could also cause traffic accidents and injuries due to congested and poorly designed road systems and also lead to infrastructure failures.
The petitioners have stated that unplanned development can lead to health hazards and environmental disasters and lead to lack of safety measures in hastily constructed structures buildings and that the State authorities are turning a blind eye to the same.
Adv Rohit Bras De Sa, representing the petitioners said that the duo had sent several emails to all the authorities since June this year as well as the legal notice requesting the statutory authorities to exercise the powers under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994, the Goa Land Revenue Code 1968, the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act 2008 and Regulations 2010 and the Goa TCP Act 1974 and the Rules, 1976. But the authorities failed to initiate appropriate action.
