PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has stalled the Block Development Officer’s order directing the Chimbel Village Panchayat to issue a construction licence to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for the proposed Unity Mall.
The stay follows an intervention petition that questioned the BDO’s jurisdiction, arguing the officer had no authority to direct the panchayat. “When the Village Panchayat refused the construction licence, the GTDC should have challenged the decision before the Deputy Director or Additional Director of the Panchayat Department, not the BDO. The BDO has no powers to hear the matter,” the intervenor submitted. The matter will be heard on Monday.
The panchayat had rejected the licence after the gram sabha resolved that the mall should not be permitted in the village. The government later informed the High Court that it would proceed with the project only after obtaining all necessary permissions.
