Panaji: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court seeking the demolition of a 527-square-metre bungalow in Canacona, allegedly constructed illegally by Goa’s Art and Culture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar.
Social activist Kashinath Shetye and five others have filed the petition, which names Tawadkar and state government authorities as respondents. The High Court has issued notices in the matter and fixed the next hearing for October 28.
According to the petition, the bungalow is located in Poinguinim village, Canacona, and was constructed around 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 prepared by architect Jayesh Phadte 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 have also pointed out that 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 have also challenged a circular issued by the Director of Panchayats in October 2021, alleging that it facilitates the 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 have sought directions from the High Court to declare the construction illegal and order its demolition under the applicable land development and panchayat laws.
The petition has been filed by Shetye, along with Krishna Pandit, Ramchandra Manjrekar, Premendra Vernekar, Atish Mandrekar, and Sudip Tamankar.
The allegations are contained in the PIL and are yet to be adjudicated by the court.
