PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa took serious note of the mushrooming of illegal shops along the Verla-Canca road leading to Mapusa and asked the Goa Police to maintain vigil along the stretch to ensure that no fresh constructions come up or existing constructions are not furthered.
The reports filed by the Bardez Block Development Officer (BDO) and the Village Panchayat Verla informed that there were more than 60 shops, most of them illegal, that have mushroomed along the route.
“The report submitted by the Block Development Office and the affidavit of the Village Panchayat of Verla Canca disclose a very serious and disturbing picture. Illegal constructions appear to be mushrooming at a very fast pace on the stretch of the road... Such constructions which are at least prima facie wholly unauthorized if permitted to mushroom will frustrate the proceedings in the public interest litigation,” the bench of Justice M S Sonak and M S Jawalkar said.
“We also direct all the respondents and the police to ensure that the illegal constructions at the above site are stopped forthwith. Further, a vigil be kept at the site to ensure that no further construction takes place at the site in question. The panchayat authorities and the officer incharge of the Mapusa Police station will be responsible for the strict implementation of this order. If there is any dereliction in the enforcement of this order, this court will consider whether any action is necessary against the authorities itself,” the court added.
The Goa Foundation had filed a PIL seeking that footpaths be built along the road.
