Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jan 15: The Goa High Court has appointed two nodal officers to analyse compliance reports submitted by municipalities and panchayats in a suo motu petition related to illegal structures across the state.

The court appointed the Deputy Director of Municipal Administration and an Extension Officer from the Directorate of Panchayats to examine the voluminous reports filed by local bodies and assess compliance with court orders on illegal constructions.

Advocate General Devidas Pangam informed the court that the move was necessitated due to the large number of reports received. “The compliance reports of panchayats and municipalities are so voluminous that the court sought suggestions for government officers who could analyse them. Accordingly, we suggested that the Deputy Director of Municipal Administration analyse reports of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) and municipalities, while the Extension Officer from the Directorate of Panchayats analyse reports submitted by all panchayats,” Pangam said.

The state government also submitted an affidavit before the high court regarding the regularisation of certain residential structures.

Pangam said the state apprised the court that an existing law permits regularisation of residential structures constructed before a specified cut-off date, subject to fulfilment of domicile-related norms. “We informed the court that a law was passed by the Legislative Assembly under which residential structures of a particular date, meeting specific domicile requirements, can be regularised. These statutes protect residential structures that provide shelter to people and do not extend to commercial structures,” he said, adding that the relevant statutes were produced before the court for consideration.