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MARGAO
In what is seen as a setback to the government on holding the Margao float parade on the Holy Spirit-Margao Municipal Square route, the High Court on Friday restrained the concerned authorities from entertaining any application for finalization of the Holy Spirit-MMC Square Carnival parade route from the Chairperson of the Margao Carnival Committee when such applications for the route is contrary to the Resolution No 4934 of the Margao Municipal Council, favouring the Old Market Circle-Fatorda route.
Disposing of a writ petition filed by petitioner Custodio Dias, the High Court bench comprising of Justice Nutan Sardesai and Justice Mahesh Sonak observed that that Chairperson of the Margao Carnival Committee Arthur D’Silva had no right to apply to any of the authorities to hold the Carnival Parade on any route other than the route unanimously approved by the MMC in its meeting held on January 15, 2020. “Neither the Director of Tourism nor the Superintendent of Police nor the Collector can therefore act on the basis of the applications made by the Chairman which are not even backed by any resolution of the Committee. Similarly, even the Committee cannot pass resolutions which run contrary to the Resolution No 4934 of the MMC”, the Court observed.
“If at all, the parade is to be held on any particular route other than the route referred to in the Resolution No 4934, it is for the MMC-Council to resolve such issues. Only thereafter, the statutory authorities can consider the applications. Besides, the statutory authorities must independently apply their mind in such matters and not go merely by the resolutions of the councils. The statutory committee cannot entertain applications
