PANAJI: Referring to the sheer magnitude of illegal structures in just one ward at Arambol, the high court of Bombay at Goa has told the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the director of panchayats and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to coordinate and devise a system with SOPs to deal with illegal constructions “so that perpetrators don’t get away scot-free”.
The HC observed that various govt authorities and departments were not cooperating with one another, which was proving advantageous to perpetrators. If no appeals are filed, demolitions need to be carried out and damage to the environment immediately assessed, the high court told govt.
After a demolition order is passed, consent to operate should be immediately withdrawn, the court said and added, “All agencies involved should know what’s happening.”
The HC gave govt two weeks to devise the plan, failing which it said it would be constrained to interfere and come out with SOPs itself. Such matters shouldn’t have to reach the HC, observed the bench which was hearing a suo motu petition regarding illegal constructions in one ward at Arambol, where more than 200 illegal constructions were found.
Of these illegal constructions, 28 belong to former sarpanch Bernard Fernandes and his family. The court was told that 10 of these were temporary structures that the family has now demolished. The remaining 18 are permanent structures, some of which are ground-plus-three storeys with swimming pools, the court was told.
The counsel representing the former sarpanch told the court that his constructions were existing prior to him even standing for panchayat elections, and added that during his tenure, the panchayat hadn’t passed a single resolution or issued a single licence for his structures which have been in existence for many years.
The HC asked govt not to let perpetrators get away as those who are running businesses with all the permissions in place may feel that others are getting away with no permissions.
