Goa’s Panchayat Courts Swamped by 3,228 Illegal Builds
MARGAO: The state’s panchayat judicial system is currently overwhelmed with over 3,200 illegal construction cases. Experts suggest that this reflects a deliberate undermining of local governance in favor of the construction lobby. Official statistics reveal a staggering 2,179 cases are pending before the additional director of panchayats in North Goa, while another 1,049 cases await attention in South Goa. This brings the total backlog to 3,228 cases. From January 2022 onwards, 436 cases have emerged across various levels of the directorate of panchayats—338 are pending before additional directors’ courts, 86 before deputy directors, and 12 before the director of panchayats…