the goan I network
PANAJI
In a major development, the government has imposed restrictions on the village panchayats on issuance of construction licenses and occupancy certificates for multi-dwelling residential units and commercial projects in the villages until the village panchayats comply with the laws related to solid and liquid waste management and the directions issued by the National Green Tribunal.
A circular issued by Director of Panchayats Gopal A Parsekar on Tuesday has directed all the taluka Block Development Officers to issue necessary directions to impose a temporary restriction on the issuance of construction license and occupancy certificates by the village panchayats in case of multi-dwelling residential projects having more than four units and also for commercial projects having 200 square meter or above total built up area.
The panchayat director has further directed the BDOs to supervise and monitor the same on day to day basis and submit weekly compliance report. Surprise inspections by the teams constituted by the Directorate of Panchayats to enforce the directions, with the circular saying the Panchayat Directorate will determine the compliance fulfillment on the basis of report from the Block Development Officer.
The circular issued by the Panchayat Director on Tuesday has drawn attention of the BDOs towards the decision of the government to restrict the village panchayats from exercising power to issue construction license and occupancy certificate until compliance of solid and liquid waste management rules. The restrictions have come at a time when the quantum of garbage generated within the villages is unmanageable.
The circular has made a reference to the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Solid Waste Management Rules framed there under in 2016 mandating every village panchayat to comply with the waste management rules within two years from the date of notification.
“The Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Solid Waste Management Rules framed in 2016 mandates every Panchayat to comply with the waste management rules within two years from the date of two years on notification. Two years have elapsed and Village Panchyayats have faild to comply with the SWM rules, and which amounts to violation of lawful duties by the Village Panchayat and concerned officials are liable for stringent punishments prescribed under the law”, says the circular. The circular also made a reference to the NGT directions to the state of Goa to achieve complete time-bound compliance of the waste management rules, which include door-to-door collection of segregated waste, transportation, storage and processing of waste at identified sites in a decentralised manner in each of the 191 village panchayats in the state of Goa. Salcete BDO Amitesh Shirwaikar, who had circulated the Panchayat Director’s circular to the panchayats via WhatsApp, said the circular comes into force with immediate effect. “The panchayats will be served with hard copies of the circular after my office receives the copies. Right now, I have posted the circular to the panchayats to ensure compliance of the directions,” the BDO said.
