The Bombay High Court has directed Goa's Town and Country Planning Board to flag all pending and future applications for enhanced floor area ratio and height permissions as subject to an ongoing legal challenge.
A division bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit S Jamsandekar issued the directions after noting that as many as 255 applications are currently pending before the Board.
The court refused to grant interim relief in a PIL against amendments to building regulations in the state.
The Goa bench of the HC ordered that all applicants, as well as those who may apply in future, be informed about the pendency of a petition challenging the amended Regulation 6.1.1 of the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010.
The court said that if permissions are granted, the orders must clearly state that they are subject to the final outcome of the petition.
The bench also made it clear that applicants whose proposals are approved cannot claim any equity based on such permissions since the validity of the provision itself is under challenge.
The directions came as the court declined interim relief sought by NGO Goa Foundation and others, who have challenged the amendment notified in August 2023 as ultra vires the parent law.
The matter has been posted for final hearing on June 15.
