PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa lashed out at the village panchayat of Verla Canca for unabashedly allowing illegal constructions, mainly shops to come up along the road leading to Mapusa asking the sarpanch and secretary to remain present at the next date.
Adv Norma Alvares for the Goa Foundation, which had filed a petition seeking the vacating of walking space along the sides of the road told the court that even as the High Court was seized with the matter of clearing the footpath, new unauthorised constructions were coming up on the stretch for which there is a proposal to construct a road or rather widening the footpaths.
“On one hand, we have been issuing directions for expeditious disposal of the proceedings before various authorities, on the other hand, the Panchayat, if the allegation made by the Petitioner is true, is taking no steps to ensure that further encroachments do not take place,” the High Court bench of Justices M S Sonak and M S Jawalkar, said.
“We place this matter on 17.06.2021. On this date, the Secretary and the Sarpanch to remain present in the office of Bhobe, the learned counsel for the Panchayat. The Secretary and the Sarpanch to file affidavits in this Court as to how such encroachments were permitted to come up since the issuance of notices to previous encroachers,” the High Court said.
“The Sarpanch and Secretary to inspect the site and file a detailed report by the next date. The Director of Panchayats to also depute his Officer to inspect the site and submit an independent report. If we find that there is dereliction of duty on the part of the Panchayat, then we will consider making appropriate orders for taking action against the Panchayat and its members for failing to protect public spaces,” the High Court said.
