EDITORIAL
The onus is on the govt to ensure that HC directions are adhered to
At last there’s some major development with regards to illegal constructions that have been mushrooming in Goa, especially in the past decade or so. One main reason for this is political patronage. Illegal constructions are put up along roadsides, in paddy fields, open spaces, private properties, comunidade and government lands, and even in no-development zones. The encroachers and squatters have the courage and gumption to occupy other people’s land, and they even get water and electricity connections. The reason being that the authorities have failed the people by behaving like ostriches, indirectly abetting illegal constructions.
Pained by this, the High Court of Bombay at Goa took suomotu cognisance, and the matter is being heard. “This has resulted in wholesale change of the landscape in the state of Goa by such wide and rampant illegal constructions without any authority of law,” stated the high court in its interim order recently. Advocate General Devidas Pangam and Amicus Curiae Vithal Naik made detailed submissions on the entire legal framework which governs, controls and regulates the construction of buildings, structures and land development in Goa, which has enough laws to govern and regulate illegal constructions and also to take punitive action in case of violations.
Very often, after a while, perpetrators claim that the structures existed for a long time. They also get support from the local politician if they are their voters. As a solution, the court has called for geo-mapping. At first municipal areas will be geo-mapped, including up to 10 km from their outer boundary. Then panchayat areas will be geo-mapped. Once the entire state is geo-mapped, it will be easy to control illegal constructions, the court said. The government machinery is well-versed with skirting issues if political bosses are not keen on executing certain decisions. Here, the court has directed the state to ensure that sufficient funds are provided to undertake the exercise. The court was kind enough to put a time frame for the completion of the exercise, giving the state a year from the date of the order given last week.
The civic bodies have been directed to prepare a report of illegal constructions along the highways and major roads within four weeks. Next, illegal constructions in paddy fields, comunidade and government lands will also be surveyed. The division bench comprising Justice Nivedita P Mehta and Justice J M S Karnik needs to be complimented for the directions issued to the authorities. It will bring about a revolutionary change if the directions are followed in letter and spirit.
Pangam and Naik have taken a lot of effort to draw an action plan to act against the illegal constructions that are highly detrimental to the environment and the development of land in Goa. The High Court has given the people hope that the illegal constructions can be cleared. The order will result in a groundbreaking action, which will also give the government a positive image for helping achieve the goal. The onus is on the government to ensure that the court directive is adhered to. It will also show whether the government is really interested in stopping the menace of illegal constructions. Will the government, which talks with confidence of achieving the target set by the Modi government of Viksit Bharat/Viksit Goa by 2037, display the much-needed political will to implement the HC order? Let’s rid Goa of the menace of illegal constructions.
