MARGAO
Exactly two months after the High Court had barred the Margao Municipal Council from issuing constructions licenses in view of the garbage crisis facing the commercial capital, the High Court on Monday partly modified its order by permitting the Civic body to issue construction licenses and clear renewal of licenses only to single dwelling units.
The ban on issuance of construction licenses and occupancy certificates for multi-dwelling units, however, will remain in force till further order, Margao Municipal officials informed after attending the High Court on Monday.
Around 27 applications for issuance of construction licenses of multi-dwelling units, single dwelling units and compound walls, besides applications for issuance for occupancy certificates have been pending since July 12 last, the day when the High Court had barred the MMC from issuance of construction licenses and occupancy certificates.
With the High Court ban on issuance of licenses and occupancy certificates, the MMC had contended that the Civic body had lost precious revenue to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore by way of issuance of the licenses and the occupancy certificates.
A glance at the list of applications for construction licenses and occupancy certificates compiled by the civic body reveals that the High Court order relaxing the ban on the issuance of occupancy certificates and construction licenses will benefit most of the applicants whose application have been pending since July 12 last. For, most of these applications have come from individuals either for issue of construction licenses for compound walls, single dwelling units or for occupancy certificates.
For the Margao Municipality, however, the High Court order, however, will not ring good news on the revenue front. For, of the Rs 1.33 crore revenue at stake, around Rs one-odd crore was supposed to come to the civic body from four builders, including the Goa Housing Board, which had submitted its application for issue of construction license.
The High Court had July 12 barred the MMC from issuing construction license and occupancy certificates after the civic body was grossly found wanting and struggling to resolve the Sonsodo imbroglio.
