SC issues notice, orders status quo on Ramodaya hsg project permissions in Mormugao

Panaji: The Supreme Court issued a notice to the town and country planning department and the Mormugao planning and development authority in a petition challenging permissions given to the Ramodaya Cooperative Housing Society project in Mormugao.

The SC bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed parties to maintain status quo with regard to the possession and construction of the property in dispute.Swapnesh Sherlekar went to the SC after the Bombay high court last year dismissed his petition challenging development permissions and alleging massive hill cutting for the project.Sherlekar is challenging the inaction of the chief town planner and the chief officer of MMC to revoke development permissions and the construction licence granted to Ramodaya Cooperative Housing Society for construction, despite being informed about illegalities of converting the property to a commercial use zone and subsequently obtaining development permission.

He alleged development permission was granted in violation of regulations on account of the influence of Kamla Prasad Yadav, who was one of the members of the MPDA.Sherlekar said the 10m-wide road access doesn’t exist, and the available plot access is hardly 6m, which is supported by the report of the mamlatdar in 2021. He stated that, without conducting a site inspection to determine width access, the actual width at loco was misreported before the chief town planner and chief officer for obtaining a technical clearance order and construction licence.

The HC, while dismissing the petition, held that it is not inclined to interfere in the petition, which was filed in 2023 with respect to the development permission granted as far back as March 16, 2018, and moreover when the construction of the building was at such an advanced stage.