the goan I network
MAPUSA
Asserting that the government would launch an inquiry into aframento land sold to builders, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday told the Legislative assembly that henceforth his government will stop this illegal practice.
“If there are any such aframento plots which have been transferred/sold to a third party for construction of multi-storied buildings, I will institute an inquiry and henceforth stop this practice,” Sawant said.
“It is totally illegal. I don’t think they can even get any approvals from other departments,” he added.
The chief minister was responding at the Question Hour after the Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat pointed out how housing complexes have come up in large tracts of land obtained as aframento by individuals in South Goa.
The chief minister said there were certain laid down criteria to grant aframentos to individuals and comunidades could not grant them on their whims and fancies.
“It can be given to a guankar to either build a house on around 400 to 500 sq mt of land or for agriculture on around 2000 sq mt of land. If a person takes 2000 sq mt of land and sells it to a builder, it won’t be allowed. It is totally illegal,” he said.
He said the comunidades could also allot large area through aframento to education institutes, panchayats or even for a crematorium.
“That is allowed because it is for development of the village. But the plot cannot be sold to a builder,” Sawant said.
Stating that aframento was being misused by people, the Leader of Opposition said large tracts of land such as 11,000 sq mt or 29,000 sq mts
were bought as aframento for purpose of residential homes but end up as residential complexes.
“A person takes 10,000 sq mt land from comundiade for residential purpose, builds a small house and then sells it to a third person without informing the comunidade or the administrator. And one find day you find a building with 50 flats on the land. As per code of the comunidade it cannot be done,” Kanat said and urged the government to conduct a detailed inquiry and stop this practice.
Former revenue minister Rohan Khaunte informed that as per the code of comunidades, the comunidades have to declare vacant land (aframento) every year.
“For last two years when we have been sending notices to comunidades but to no avail. Illegality has increased,” Khaunte said.
Stating that 39,000 sq mt of aframento land was sold by Serula comunidade, he demanded the government to launch a probe in the matter.
“The transactions that happen in the comuidades are very different. There is no government approval,” he said.
He said while trying to put the comunidade house in order, the government should ensure that the bodies adhered to the code of comunidade.
Aldona MLA, Glen Ticlo, Marcaim MLA, Sudhin Dhavlikar and Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Lourenco also participated in the discussion.
