Staff Reporter
Panaji
In a step towards recovery of homeowners’ money, builder Venkatesh Prabhu Moni, a defaulter in payment of compensation and penalty as directed by the Goa Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Goa- RERA), was arrested on Friday, under the provisions of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, for a recovery amounting to Rs 7 crore and more.
The arrest follows the builder’s failure to clear outstanding arrears of land revenue despite repeated notices and legal proceedings initiated by the authorities. The Collector, North Goa, issued the arrest warrant and directed the Panaji police inspector to execute it and hand over the builder to the Colvale Jail in-charge, after which a team of police personnel carried out the arrest near the Porvorim junction.
The Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, mandates the timely payment of land revenue dues, and empowers the authorities to take stringent measures, including arrest, for recovery of arrears. In case of Moni, his refusal to settle the pending dues of homeowners resulted in the initiation of recovery proceedings and culminated in his arrest.
In November 2024, 36 decree holders of the housing project Prabhu Chambers, Mapusa, had met the North Goa District Collector Sneha Gitte, and asked to expedite action against the builder for not paying compensation due to them amounting to Rs 11 crore, imposed vide a Goa RERA order.
Of the due amount, Rs 3.5 crore, was paid to the homeowners through recoveries from property auctions under the Land and Revenue Act, while the remaining payment order of approximately Rs 8 crore was pending with the Collector’s office.
The Goa RERA had passed two orders against Moni, on March 17, 2022, and November 30, 2022, respectively.
