Eknath Mukund Patre v. State of Goa through Its Chief Secretary and 4 Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
Goa; High Court of Bombay at Goa; WP 34 of 2026; Eknath Mukund Patre v. State of Goa; writ petition disposed; Panchayat inaction; legality of structure inquiry; Deputy Director of Panchayats; Section 66 and Section 66(5) Panchayat Raj Act; B.D.O Bicholim site inspection; 12-week disposal timeline; site inspection report lacking site plan/survey; office objections waived; Valmiki Menezes; Amit S. Jamsandekar; 22nd January, 2026.
What did the court decide?
Petition disposed of, the grievance regarding Panchayat inaction being treated as redressed by the Deputy Director of Panchayats' assumption of jurisdiction under sub-section (5) of Section 66 of the Panchayat Raj Act: site inspection by the B.D.O of Bicholim within a week, and inquiry into the legalities of the structure and disposal of the case after hearing Respondent No. 5, the Petitioner/Complainant and the Panchayat, expeditiously and preferably within 12 weeks, with notice through the advocates' e-mail IDs; Registry directed to waive office objections and register the Petition.