PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa has restrained the Goa government from acting on the proceedings at the public hearings of the Coastal Zone Management Plan that several activist groups have alleged are illegal.
Hearing a bunch of petitions the Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Mahesh Sonak on March 24 issued notice on the petitions and stayed until April 15, further action on the basis of the minutes of the public hearing of Mar 7.
Goa Foundation together with several villagers from coastal villages filed the PIL challenging the North Goa public hearing at the Kala Academy, whereas the Goenchea Rampokarancho Ekvott, other fishing organizations and individuals filed the PIL challenging the South Goa public hearing at the Ravindra Bhavan.
The petitioners approached the court alleging that they were denied full opportunity to present their objections ref., the CZMP to the GCZMA by various limitations imposed on them for participation in the public hearing.
“The state administration, with single-minded purpose, successfully ensured, through indefensible and illegal actions, that members of the public and NGOs would not be able to effectively participate in these hearings and place their legitimate concerns before the designated panel, violating every known principle of natural justice and fairplay. It also violated specific norms laid down for the conduct of such public hearings,” the Goa Foundation said in its petition.
Despite pointing these out to the authorities, the Government announced that it was going ahead with the process since the hearings now stood concluded, the petitioners alleged.
The state government has been asked to file its reply by April 1, 2021 while the petitioners have been given until April 5 to file their rejoinders and the matter to be listed on April 6, 2021.
