MAPUSA
In pursuant to the High Court direction to act against CRZ violations, the Anjuna panchayat has asked owners of 175 structures along the Vagator and Anjuna coastal belt to produce their construction licence/permission within five days or face action.
The panchayat has issued a public notice directing the owners of the structures coming under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
and No Development Zone (NDZ) area to produce construction licence/permission issued by the panchayat to determine the legality of the structures as per Section 66 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act.
“All those owners who have set up structures/cottages/restaurants etc. along the coastline have to produce their construction licences/permissions before the village panchayat within five days,” said Laxmidas Chimulkar, Sarpanch of Anjuna.
He said if the owners fail to produce the documents, then the panchayat is bound to take appropriate action under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act.
He further informed that the action is on account of the direction of the High Court which is hearing a Public Interest Litigation in the matter.
Some months back, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had identified 275 illegal constructions along the Anjuna beach belt and also began the process of issuing notices to these structures.
Earlier, the GCZMA along with the Anjuna panchayat had conducted a joint inspection and identified the illegal structures.
The action came after the High Court of Bombay at Goa issued directions to the authorities while hearing a writ petition filed by Bipin Muzumdar.
Last month, GCZMA along with the local panchayat had demolished some of the illegal structures along the Anjuna coast.
