PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the village panchayat secretary and the Goa State Pollution Control Board to inspect a restaurant, Food Planet 2.0, located at Arambol to verify whether the establishment is running with valid permissions.
Hearing a petition filed against the operation of the restaurant, the High Court noted that the “huge illegal and unauthorised construction” was already issued a demolition order which was then stayed by the Additional Director of Panchayats via a blanket stay.
“This order was made on 01.06.2021. The order contains no reasons why a blanket stay was granted based upon which the fourth respondent is undertaking commercial activities through a structure which is prima facie illegal and unauthorised,” the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and Valmiki Menezes said.
“If there is no trade licence or consent to operate, the Secretary of Panchayat and the officials of the GSPCB must, latest by tomorrow seal the premises and stop the commercial activities,” the High Court ordered while also directing the Additional Director of Panchayats to “indicate the timeline within which the Panchayat Appeal instituted by the fourth respondent would be disposed of.”
