PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has lifted the injunction and allowed the village panchayat of Cana Benaulim to issue construction licences after the panchayat informed the High Court that they have set up the segregation facility and have secured the approval of the Goa State Pollution Control Board.
The High Court had restricted the panchayat from granting construction licences until they have a material recovery facility (MRF) up and running.
“There was an injunction against them from giving any construction licences. The High Court has today vacated that injunction and permitted them to grant all construction licences. So there is some relief for people in Benaulim,” Advocate General Devidas Pangam said.
The village of Bhatti, Sanguem which had also failed to construct a MRF told the High Court that they have now set up a temporary MRF. Following the assurance, the contempt notices which was issued to the panchayat members have been discharged and the Rs 5-lakh which was confiscated, has been kept in abeyance.
The Aldona panchayat, which is facing action from the High Court for failing to set up an MRF told the High Court that they have set up the MRF facility, which has been inspected by the Pollution Control Board which found some deficiencies and has hence yet to issue a licence.
“The panchayat is supposed to take appropriate steps to do away with those deficiencies and thereafter the pollution control board is supposed to inspect. And if the GSPCB gives a report that the facility is complete in all respects then insofar as this panchayat is concerned there will be relief from the High Court,” the Advocate General also said.
Court lifts decades-old ban
MARGAO: The ban on the issuance of construction licences for multi-dwelling units beyond four units, was lifted over a decade and a half after the Benaulim Panchayat was barred by the High Court from issuing licences for want of a garbage disposal mechanism.
The Benaulim Panchayat had been issuing construction licences for up to four dwelling units as per the High Court order.
Benaulim was one of the villages in Salcete which was at the forefront of the anti-mega housing agitation over a decade and a half ago. In fact, Benaulim villagers had literally put a stop to the mega housing projects by marking a large presence at the gram sabha meetings to force the Sarpanchas and ruling bodies to keep mega housing projects on hold.
Sources said the High Court order on the ban of multi-dwelling units had helped to put a stop to mega housing projects in the coastal village. They said real estate developers have reportedly purchased properties in the coastal village with the hope of developing them for real estate.
