MAPUSA
The State administration has initiated preparations to demolish around 35 homes belonging to owners who were duped to build houses on government-acquired comunidade land in Cunchelim.
The demolition drive, set to begin as early as Tuesday, follows the issuance of notices by the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bardez, Kabir Shirgaonkar.
Under the Goa (Land Prohibition on Construction) Act, 1995, these notices instructed residents to vacate the properties, which fall under PT Sheet No 1 Chalta No 10/3 and PT Sheet No 2 Chalta No 11/1, to allow demolition teams clear access.
To ensure order during the operation, the Deputy Collector’s office has directed the mamlatdar and joint mamlatdar to remain on standby, while the Mapusa Police have also been called in to assist with law enforcement.
A special demolition squad has been prepared with equipment and personnel to dismantle the structures.
When pressed for details, Deputy Collector Shirgaonkar declined to comment further on the demolition drive.
The land at the center of the dispute was originally designated in the Mapusa Outward Development Plan (ODP) as a common burial ground.
In 2010, the Cunchelim comunidade passed a resolution to reserve 15,000 square meters (Survey No 10/11 and PT Sheet No 2) for this purpose, allocating 5,000 square meters each for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim burial grounds.
The State government subsequently acquired the land in 2018.
For affected homeowners, the situation has been a devastating blow.
Many invested their life’s savings into what they believed were secure properties, only to discover recently that the land had been classified as illegal.
Notices posted on the homes on November 5 informed residents they would have to leave, sparking shock and frustration among families who claim they were unaware of the land’s government status.
According to residents, many purchased their plots from sellers who allegedly misrepresented the ownership status of the land, which had been acquired by the government from the Cunchelim comunidade.
