HIGH COURT ISSUES NOTICE TO PANCHAYATS OF MAJORDA,UTTORDA,CALATA

The high court of Bombay at Goa issued a notice to the village panchayat of Majorda-Utorda-Calata on a petition alleging contempt of court as it violated the court's directives not to issue any fresh licences to structures within the CRZ-III area. The contempt petition has been filed by Maclean Dourado and Joao Paulo Fernandes, both residents of Utorda. The petitioners have pointed out that in 2006, the high court had passed an order directing the state government to conduct a survey to determine the number of structures existing in the CRZ-III zone before February 19, 1991. The court had further directed that until the survey is completed no new licences should be issued or granted, and no new structure of any nature should be allowed to be constructed in the CRZ-III zone, except repairs and renovation of the existing houses. The petitioners have alleged that the panchayat violated these orders by issuing fresh licences for construction within the CRZ-III zone, in the garb of renewing lapsed licences. According to the petitioners, the panchayat had renewed the construction licences granted to the structures of Hospitality Resorts and Sneha Hotels & Developers Ltd, both in Utorda. The court will hear the petition further after two weeks.