As reported in the media, The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday ordered Pernem Deputy Collector and the Pernem Police to seal a four-storied hotel allegedly constructed illegally in No Development Zone (NDZ) at Girkarwada, Arambol. The Court also expressed its shock and surprise at the panchayat’s failure to act against the structure of this magnitude coming up in the village. My thoughts are why are the respective panchayats and even officials including deputy collectors not severely punished by the law? May I request the High Court to also impose the strictest penalties which can include steep fines, Suspension and even a long jail time for the respective erring authorities? Such illegalities are there all over the State including in the Coastal Belt with a classic example being my Village of Colva. Needless to say, if the Courts always have to step in on complaints, does this not mean high incompetence and corruption with the Goa Government starting from the ministers and then going down to the corrupt officials and panchas? The BJP had promised 0% tolerance to corruption in their election manifesto.
