Grant of construction licence issued by Mollem panchayat was challenged by a group of villagers
PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has set aside the permission issued to M/s Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited issued by the village panchayat of Mollem for the construction of a substation in Sangod locality within the jurisdiction of the Molem village panchayat.
A group of villagers had challenged the grant of a construction licence by the panchayat pointing out that the permission was granted without a resolution to that effect by the panchayat body and issued by the Sarpanch in her name and not by the Secretary, as is usually the case.
The panchayat body, through a majority decision on September 11, had taken a decision that the application filed by the company should be placed before the gram sabha of the panchayat for discussion and deliberation.
The panchayat then approached the deputy collector at Dharbandora for permission to hold a gram sabha on October 10, 2020 which was denied in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the petition alleged that the Sarpanch issued a construction licence with the sarpanch herself signing the letter although such permissions are as a matter of law to be signed by the Secretary of the Panchayat.
M/s Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited is establishing a substation power plant in survey Nos. 21/1, 22/1 and 24/1-A of Sangod village in the Molem village panchayat.
The company sought permission for establishment of a substation, construction of residential units, pump house, well and badminton court and amalgamation of plots.
The company had already obtained a technical clearance from the Town and Country Planning Department in October this year.
The decision of the High Court was welcomed by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat who said that “the local panchayat must now go with the people’s voice and refrain from any act which will destroy the identity of Goa.”
