The former Colva secretary was transferred out of Colva panchayat some weeks back and replaced by a secretary, who is officially made to split his working time between Colva and Varca panchayat; both of which are amongst one of the most busiest panchayats in South Goa. As far as Colva panchayat is concerned, the service is now worsened by a secretary spending only 2-3 days at Colva (balance at Varca!) And to make things worse the recent Goa Panchayat Raj Act (2026 Revision by the Goa Govt) establishes a mandatory 15-day timeline for village panchayats to process and issue construction licences and occupancy certificates. If the local authority fails to act within this window, the permit is legally considered 'deemed' to be approved. Can the Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho look into this matter urgently so that Colvenkars can get some basics in time, from the Colva panchayat ?
ARWIN MESQUITA, Colva
