MARGAO
As the issuance of construction licenses by the Margao Municipal Council has come to a halt after the ban imposed by the High Court in view of the Sonsodo waste imbroglio, a report compiled by the Civic body has revealed that the ban has hit the revenue collection to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore.
In fact, the MMC is bracing up to file a plea before the High Court to relax the ban imposed on the issuance of construction licenses in view of the fact that the Civic body has complied with the court directions to transport wet waste to the Cacora and Saligao waste treatment plants.
A glance at the report indicates that as many as 27 files pertaining for the issue of construction licenses, renewal of licenses and issuance of occupancy certificates have pending with the Civic body since the High Court ban came into effect in July last.
Of the total files, around a dozen files, sources said pertain to the issuance of construction files, including the file for issuance of construction license by the Goa Housing Board, Porvorim. Besides, a couple of files are pending for issuance of construction licenses for individual houses and for compound walls.
Sources in the MMC pointed out that the number of construction files or for renewal of the files may go up in the near future after the meeting of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority.
A senior official told The Goan that the MMC would make a submission for the lifting of the oral order banning the issuance of construction licenses at the next date of hearing. “The High Court did not pass a written order, banning issuance of construction licenses, but had orally told the Civic body not to issue the construction licenses at the hearing held in July”, he added.