PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday issued a notice to govt following a public interest petition challenging Rajesh Naik’s authority to hold the office of the chief town planner and seeking his removal from office.
The public interest litigation (PIL), filed by Swapnesh Sherlekar and Nubert Fernandes, seeks the cancellation of the order granting Naik an extension in service post-superannuation and a direction to him not to make any decisions on planning matters that have financial and/or ecological implications for the state.
Naik permitted the conversion of more than 23,16,572sqm of land under Section 16B of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act and allowed conversion of more than 22,14,719sqm of land under Section 17(2) of the TCP Act, Sherlekar and Fernandes said.
This is a gross instance of corruption for which he needs to be investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act for the purpose of investigating and inquiring into the circumstances of his extension post-superannuation, they said.
Advocates Rohit Bras de Sa and Joel Pinto, representing the petitioners, told the court that every single malicious and arbitrary action on the part of state govt to undo the planned development of Goa in favour of the real estate lobby has been supported and endorsed by the chief town planner.
They told the court that Naik has completely abdicated his responsibilities and become merely a mechanical signatory for every decision by the TCP minister by uncritically signing documents, never expressing dissent, and consistently following directives of political leaders, including the real estate lobby operating in the state.
