MARGAO
Who’s responsible for the rampant encroachments on the Comunidade lands? Is it because of the indifference and apathy of the Comunidade bodies that illegalities have mushroomed on the land over the years or simply the nonchalant attitude of the office of the government-appointed Comunidade Administrator is responsible for the state of affairs?
If Chief Minister Pramod Sawant sought to lay the blame on the doorsteps of the Comunidades, against the backdrop of the controversial Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, saying the Comunidade bodies have not been diligent in protecting their lands, components of Comunidades, especially from South Goa have begged to differ.
In fact, the components have contended that encroachments stand tall on the Comunidade lands for want of action from the office of the Administrator of South Goa Comunidades.
Armed with replies tabled on the floor of the Assembly in reply to Legislative Assembly questions in 2017 and 2020, the components have pointed out that the wheels of justice have been moving at a slow pace, giving a breather for the encroachers.
A glance at the official statistics dished out by the Revenue Department on the floor of the House has revealed that most of the complaints, around 160 to be precise, filed in the last six years, from 2014-20 are awaiting disposal.
A further glance at the “status of the case” column has brought to light a common remark that the matter is pending for hearing. Take note, in all the 77 cases pending before the Office of the Administrator of Comunidades South Zone, the reply has cited the matters as pending for hearing.
Again, to the unstarred LAQ tabled by MLA Reginaldo Lourenco in 2020, the Revenue Department had replied saying around 83 cases of encroachments are pending before the Administrator of Comunidades, while around 19 structures had faced the axe in South Goa.
President of Aquem Comunidade, Savio Correia says: “The statistics laid on the floor of the House is just the tip of the ice berg. A large number of complaints filed before the Office of South Goa Comunidades Administrator are pending disposal. Then there are the pending cases in respect of Moti Dongor and Talsan Zor where the Comunidades had got favourable demolition orders in 2012-13, but are now pending in the High Court.”
Correia added: “This only goes to show the Comunidades bodies had been reporting the complaints to the office of Administrator. I do not deny there may be exceptions. But, the office of the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades has been found wanting in clearing the encroachments. We have instances to show that Comunidade bodies do not get any assistance from the Administrators. On the contrary, they are frustrated by the slow disposal of cases. In fact, the Comunidades Commission in its report had recommended conferring powers to the Attorney to deal with illegal encroachments.”
