The Congress Minorities Department has urged Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao to demand relaxation of Town and Country Planning laws for the construction of the burial ground/kabrastan for the Muslim community at Sonsodo.
Chairman Niazi Shaikh along with Vice Chairman Wasim Khan, Margao Congress Block Convener Savio Coutinho, Mathin Karol, Anwar Naroo, Mainudin Shaik and Wilfred Fernandes handed over a memorandum to LOP Yuri Alemao with regard to the long pending Kabarastan issue and demanded for clarity over the reasons for the delay in the commencement of the Kabarastan works.
The delegation requested opposition leader Yuri to demand for the relaxation of TCP laws since only 2500 sq.mts out of the 30000 square meters acquired for the burial grounds can be utilised as per present TCP laws. “With just 2500 sq.mts, apart from the praying area, washing area etc., hardly 40 to 50 graves can be provided which is highly insufficient”, the memorandum added.
The demand made by the Congress Minorities department assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of a report compiled by a GUSDA-appointed consultant that though the government has acquired around 30,000 square meters of land for the burial grounds/kabrastan at Sonsodo, only land admeasuring 2500 square meters can be utilised to set up the burial grounds because of the prevailing TCP norms.
The issue had figured at a meeting of the Margao block Congress committee led by convenor Savio Coutinho wherein Congressmen expressed their concern over the inordinate delay in developing the acquired land for the proposed kabrastan.
