MARGAO
Will the High Court directions in the suo moto public interest litigation (PIL) finally clear the encroachments, including gaddas erected in road widening areas, causing congestion and traffic snarls?
The PWD, Roads had issued show cause notices to a host of illegal gaddas and other structures erected in the road widening areas in the Margao Municipal area and outside around two years ago. The structures, including gaddas, are all standing tall in the road widening areas, with PWD officials suddenly developing cold feet due to political pressure.
Indeed, the High Court, in its order, has directed both the municipalities and panchayats to conduct inspections of all the roadways/ highways/ major roads within their jurisdictions and make a report of any illegal construction that may have taken place on the edge/ road widening area abutting such roadways/ highways/ major roads.
The civic bodies are mandated to file the reports in the court within a period of four weeks from the date of the High Court order. They are further required to furnish the reports to the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
Upon preparation of such reports, the Chief Officer of municipal councils and the panchayat secretaries are required to take immediate action against such illegal constructions.
Notices shall be issued to the violators to demolish the illegal structure within 15 days from the receipt of the notice, failing which the Chief Officer/ panchayat secretaries shall cause to remove such illegal structure within 15 days thereafter.
In appropriate cases, chief officers and panchayat secretaries to seal commercial structures, where there is no construction licence granted by the municipality/ panchayat or where no technical clearance is granted under the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010. Upon receipt of reports from the municipalities/ panchayats, the GSPCB shall inspect, prepare report and stop/ seal/ close such illegal commercial structure on the edge/ road-widening area abutting the roadways/ highways/ major roads.
