PANAJI
The State government has replaced Retired District Judge Cholu Gauns from the position of member of the Goa Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) with Retired District Judge Vincent D'Silva, following directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The Department of Urban Development notified D'Silva’s appointment through an amendment to its previous order, which was subsequently challenged by the new member.
“In partial modification to the Notification … Vincent D’Silva, Retired District Judge-I & Additional Sessions Judge, Panaji-Goa, is hereby appointed as Member of the Goa Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Panaji-Goa in place of Cholu Gauns, Member, as per the directions of the High Court of Bombay at Goa in Writ Petition No. 2013 of 2024,” reads the present order.
Last month, the Division Bench of Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes observed the government failed to provide any justification for bypassing the recommendations of the duly constituted Selection Committee, which had placed D'Silva as the preferred candidate for the judicial member’s position under the Goa Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
The Bench then directed the government to quash Gauns’ appointment as a RERA member and appoint D'Silva to the post. The Court also observed that having regard to the recommendations, it is obvious that D’Silva and Gauns, though holding adequate knowledge and requisite experience in the field of law, were considered by the Selection Committee to be most suited. D'Silva had challenged Gauns’ appointment, arguing it violated the rules governing such selections.
