MARGAO
Is the government doing a re-think on setting up of the controversial kabrastan (burial grounds) for the Muslim community on the Margao Municipal Council acquired land at Sonsodo?
Months after the local residents of Borda and adjoining Raia took to the streets to oppose the Kabrastan atop the Sonsodo hillock on the MMC land admeasuring 30,000 square meters, the TCP Minister is believed to have zeroed in on a piece of land in neighbouring Margao to house the burial ground for the Muslim community.
At the Ramadan Iftar party at Fatorda on Sunday, the TCP Minister made a reference to the long-pending kabrastan issue, with a promise to address the problem by
year-end.
That he stated that the burial ground will not hurt the sentiments of the people of Borda and Raia, but will help resolve the long-standing issue amicably, had given clear indications that the TCP Minister is zeroing in on a piece of land in neighbouring Margao which could be explored to house the burial grounds.
When The Goan sought to get more details on the contentious issue, the TCP Minister only exuded confidence to resolve the imbroglio without antagonising any section of the populace. “I am optimistic that the long standing issue will be resolved in the near future. I am not setting any deadline, but the
burial grounds can see light of the day by year-end if everything goes well as per the plan,” he said.
Sources said that a piece of land in Margao has been identified for the purpose of setting up the kabrastan, but the entire proposal has so far not taken any concrete shape till date.
What must have made the TCP Minister and the government to look out for alternate land to house the burial ground is the strident protests by the locals of Borda and Fatorda, the areas that come under Fatorda constituency. Apart from the political fall out of the issue, sources said the TCP Minister appears wary of the fact that the issue threatens to bring the communities face to face and vitiate the peaceful environment in and around Fatorda.
It’s now seven years since the Margao Municipal Council had rushed in to acquire land admeasuring 30,000 square meters, including 16,000 square meters of private land, to house the kabrastan, during the tenure of then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat.
That the government had moved in alacrity to acquire the land before the 2012 Assembly election was evident by the fact that the acquired land was handed over to the representatives of the Jama Masjid, Malbhat, by the Margao Municipal Council in the presence of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.
