SANGUEM
Concerned over the rights of land owned by them and Sociadade Patriotica Dos Baldios Das Novas Conquistas Uguem, residents of Uguem have convened a meeting on Sunday at 11 am.The meeting has been convened to discuss the issue pertaining to the recent tangle between the Sociadade and the State government.
Last year, the government through Mamlatdar of Sanguem transferred over 35 lakh square metres of land from the name of Sociadade Patriotica Dos Baldios Dos Novas Conquistas Uguem to the Government of Goa in Uguem village.
The transfer of survey records was done based on the 1966 notification published in the Official Gazette where it was directed to revert the agricultural land which were allotted to Sociadade for agricultural activities but which the latter allegedly could not use for the purpose for which it was allotted.
Even after the notification in 1966, the land continued to remain in possession of the Sociadade till late 2021.
During the transfer of survey records, the government also transferred in its name, the tenanted paddy fields which were purchased by villagers under the Tenancy Act from the order of the Mamlatdar.
The names of the villagers were noted as co-occupants along with the Mamlatdar but no notices were issued to the tenants who were in exclusive possession of the agricultural lands.
The issue took a controversial turn last week after the Sanguem Mamlatdar filed a complaint before SIT alleging that the Sociadade had made a fraudulent sale of government land to some 73 people.
The lands were, however, sold by the Sociadade to local villagers between 2013 and 2020 where the survey records were in its name for housing purpose.
Even during the tenure of then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, the government had acquired substantial portions of land for the construction of a bypass road and to lay a pipeline, by paying a substantial amount of money to Sociadade.
The government now seems to have woken up from its slumber and has begun claiming the land as its own property despite previously acquiring portions of the land from the Sociadade for government works.
While residents of Uguem are happy over the Sociadade holding the vast lands in Uguem, there has been uproar in the village after the government began claiming ownership of the land.
