Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In response to a directive from the High Court, a comprehensive survey will be conducted to identify illegal structures in Panchayat and Municipality areas.
Revenue Minister Babush Monserrate confirmed this decision after a high-powered meeting with Chief Minister Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss the Court’s order.
The survey will form the basis of a report that will be submitted to the High Court for further review. The next course of action will be determined after the High Court’s assessment of the findings. Until then, no demolition orders or actions will be taken by the Panchayat or Municipality authorities.
Minister Monserrate made it clear that no demolitions would be carried out at this stage, emphasizing that the authorities must wait for the Court’s guidance before proceeding with any enforcement actions. “Further action will be taken after the High Court’s order,” Monserrate stated.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions across the state, with some expressing concerns about the growing number of unauthorized constructions and others worried about the implications for local residents and businesses.
The survey is expected to begin shortly, with officials urging cooperation from the public to ensure accurate and timely data collection.
In addition to this development, Santa Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes has called on residents to initiate the regularization process for irregular structures in the state. Following the Chief Minister’s recent announcement to regularize non-compliant constructions, Fernandes emphasized that this move aims to address the growing issue of unauthorized buildings across Goa.
“The regularization process is a crucial step in resolving the problem of illegal structures, and I urge residents to take the necessary steps to regularize their properties,” Fernandes said. “This initiative will help ensure compliance with laws while providing an opportunity for those who built structures in good faith to legalize them.”
In a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning illegal constructions and encroachments, the High Court has issued a series of directions to State authorities to take immediate action against illegal structures along roadsides, highways, government land, paddy fields, comunidade land, and tenanted land across Goa.
“All over the State we find that when people raise illegal constructions, it is claimed that the said construction has been existing for a long time. The solution to this is to get geo-mapping done. The relevant technology is Geographic Information System (GIS),” the division bench stated.
The Court directed that geo-mapping should not only cover the municipal areas but also include a 10-kilometer radius from the outer boundaries of these areas. The process can be conducted using satellite imagery, drones, or vehicles, making it a modern and effective way to monitor and address encroachments.
