Goa, Sept. 19 -- The High Court of Bombay at Goa has strongly reprimanded the secretary of the Varca Vil lage Panchayat for impos ing additional conditions on a construction licence despite clear directions from the court to issue it in accordance with an or der passed by the Salcete Block Development Officer (BDO)-I. The division bench com prising Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit S Jamsandekar observed that adding conditions beyond the court's direc tions amounted to placing restrictions on the High Court's own order and could amount to contempt of court. The matter relates to a construction licence sought by petitioners Peter Jacob Barreton and Isabel Eu femia Pires e Barreto.

The High Court had directed the panchayat secretary...