(1.) THESE two writ petitions which challenge the Notification of the State Government dated 26th June, 1991 issued under sub-section (3) of section 18 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 and its further consequential notification dated the same issued under sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 20 of the said Act can conveniently be disposed of by this common judgment. However, reference to the parties in this judgment would be as in the Writ Petition No. 240 of 1991 except where W. P. No. 243 of 1991 is particularly considered and referred to.
(2.) THE facts in Writ Petition No. 240 of 1991 are that the petitioner is the Chair-person of the South Planning and Development Authority and in Writ Petition No. 243 of 1991, the petitioner is the Goa Citizens League, which holds out itself as a Special activist organisation formed with a view to promoe social, economic and educational cultural and political interests for achieving the progress and welfare of the citizens of Goa. It is made clear that the locus standi of the above petitioners to maintain the writ petitions preferred by them is not impugned before us.
(3.) AFTER the Goa, Daman and Diu Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 (for short the Act) came into force sometime in 1975, the State Government issued a Notification under section 18 (1) of the said Act on 19-11-1976 declaring Margao Area as a planning area for the purposes of the Act so that the provisions of the Act were applicable to the said area. After the Notification declaring Margao Planning Area was issued on 19-11-1976, the State Government constituted the Planning and Development Authority for the said area known as "southern Planning and Development Authority" (for short S. P. D. A.) by issuing an appropriate Notification under section 20 of the Act on 30-1-1977.