Panaji, Sep 30 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Art and Culture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar and the concerned authorities after a PIL sought razing of a bungalow in Canacona, which they claimed had been illegally constructed by him.
The PIL, filed by activist Kashinath Shetye and five others, claimed that attempts are being made to regularise the structure.
The petition names Tawadkar and state authorities as respondents.
“The High Court’s Goa bench today issued notices in the matter and fixed the next hearing for October 28,” Shetye told reporters.
According to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the 527-square metre bungalow in Poinguinim village was constructed around the year 2015 without the requisite statutory permissions.
The petitioners have challenged “attempts to regularise the structure”, stating that an application was submitted to the Poinguinim village panchayat on January 13, 2025, by the minister, following which house number EHN/R9/30 was issued on January 20, 2025.
The plea also refers to an affidavit dated January 16, 2025, and an architectural plan dated December 22, 2022.
The petitioners contend that the structure is not eligible for regularisation under the Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Act, 2016, as the law applies to unauthorised structures constructed before February 28, 2014.
They said the Act caps the regularisable built-up area of a personal residential structure at 200 square metres, while the bungalow in question allegedly has a built-up area of 527 square metres.
The PIL further alleges that under Section 6 of the Act, authorities, including the Collector and Mamlatdar, were required to identify and demolish unauthorised structures that were not covered by applications within the stipulated period.
The petitioners also challenged a circular issued by the Director of Panchayats in October 2021, alleging that it facilitates regularisation of unauthorised constructions contrary to the statutory framework.
They have contended that allowing such regularisation would amount to arbitrary treatment and violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
The petitioners sought directions from the High Court to declare the construction illegal and order its demolition under the applicable land development and panchayat laws. PTI RPS NSK
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