PANAJI
In a major State-wide move, officials of the Revenue Department and the two District Collectorates have been issued instructions to first inspect and map illegalities such as land-filling and construction activity along road widening areas of highways and then take action against them.
In a circular issued here, the Collectors (district magistrates), Deputy Collectors (sub-divisional magistrates), mamlatdars (executive magistrates) and the flying squads have been directed to conducted inspections at all the road widening areas alongside State and National Highways in their respective jurisdictions.
To give legal footing to the direction asking these authorities to "act against the illegalities" the circular involves the Land Revenue Code, Code of Communidades and the Goa Land Use (Prohibition of Construction) Act, 1955.
It also draws attention of the officials to section 6 of the Goa Land (Prohibition on Construction) Act, 1955, Section 33 of LRC and Section 17 of TCP Act, which gives them power to take immediate action, including demolition of structures and restoration of the land to original status.
The circular issued by Under Secretary (Revenue-I) Durga Kinlekar, blames "inaction" by these revenue officials, which it says are tasked with the duty to initiate action as per law, but fail to take appropriate action thus encouraging the illegal activities.
“It has now been noticed that there are various instances of illegal filling on the roadside areas along National Highways/ State Highways & illegal mushrooming of various constructions in areas of road widening,” Kinlekar said in the circular.
“The Talathis of the concerned areas are duty bound to report such violations for taking immediate action. Further the Mamlatdars are duty bound to file checklist and Dy Collectors are duty bound to initiate action under Land Revenue Code,” Kinlekar's circular states.
The officials have also been warned of "appropriate disciplinary action" against erring officials who fail to take action against illegalities.
Ironically, the circular exhorting action against illegal constructions from revenue officials comes days after individuals were given an additional 90 days to file applications seeking 'regularisation' of their unauthorised structures.
The additional 90-day period took effect last week, when the government notified the amendment to the original law providing for regularisation of unauthorised constructions which was recently enacted by the Goa legislative assembly in the winter session in mid-January and got the assent of the Governor.
The law enables regularisation of houses which conform to building laws but were built without securing all the prior statutory permissions.
