Dy Sarpanch blames previous body for delaying approvals
The licence was formally handed over to Shamal Gauns Shetgaonkar in the presence of other panchayat members at Anand Uptown.
VASCO
In a development that sparked fresh political controversy in Sancoale, Deputy Sarpanch Tulshidas Naik on Saturday handed over a construction licence to local resident following her 15-month struggle.
Naik has now alleged that the previous panchayat body had unnecessarily delayed approvals and harassed applicants for months.
The licence was formally handed over to Shamal Gauns Shetgaonkar in the presence of other panchayat members at Anand Uptown, with Naik claiming that the new body had begun clearing pending files and restoring transparency in the functioning of the village panchayat.
Shetgaonkar, who had purchased a plot at Anand Uptown in August 2024, said she was forced to run from office to office for nearly 15 months despite securing all necessary permissions from various departments.
“I had applied for all relevant permissions. The MPDA, Health Department and Electricity Department had granted approvals immediately. However, when we applied for a construction licence at the Sancoale Panchayat in December 2024, we were continuously harassed and asked to submit different documents repeatedly,” said Shetgaonkar.
She said the prolonged delay eventually compelled her to file a writ petition before the High Court.
“We made several visits to the panchayat office, but nobody clearly informed us why the licence was being withheld. After struggling for around 15 months, we have finally received our construction licence. I thank Sarpanch Paulina Azevedo and Dy Sarpanch Tulshidas Naik for resolving the issue. Since the licence has now been issued, we will withdraw the writ petition,” she said.
Shetgaonkar also thanked developer Anand Bose for supporting her throughout the process.
Dy Sarpanch Tulshidas Naik alleged that the previous panchayat body, led by former Dy Sarpanchas Girish Pillai and Derrick Vales, had created unnecessary hurdles for plot owners and delayed approvals despite clear directions from higher authorities.
"Most plots were purchased by Goans. However, the earlier panchayat body created several obstacles by insisting on provisional and final NOCs even though the Director of Panchayats had clarified that such NOCs were not required for subdivision approvals,” said Naik.
He claimed residents were forced to approach the MPDA, Director of Panchayats and even the Law Department for clarification, but approvals still remained pending for months.
“People were made to run from pillar to post for over 15 months. Developer Anand Bose later wrote a complaint to Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho, while a vigilance complaint was later filed regarding the functioning of the panchayat. Following this, Gram Sevak Orville Vales was suspended,” Naik alleged.
Naik further stated that the newly elected body had conducted a meeting on Friday and cleared several pending files and licences.
“We cleared almost all pending proposals during the meeting and issued the licence to this Goan lady who had struggled for a long time. We want to assure people that the new body will not harass anyone unnecessarily and that licences will be approved in a transparent manner after being placed before the panchayat meeting,” Naik said.
