CANACONA
In a bid to get kumeri land in their possession, some residents of Gaondongrim submitted their applications and documents to Dy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, while also appealing to him to stop the forest department from attempts to demarcate the land.
One resident, Laximan Deu Gaonkar, said they have all relevant documents in connection with government property in Survey Nos 3/0 and 6/0 of Gaondongrim in their possession since 1964-65 under kumeri rights, as all poverty-stricken people from the Schedule Tribes were entirely dependent on agriculture and Kumeri livelihood.
He said survey plans were also submitted to Fernandes as justification that these properties were in their possession.
The residents complained that in 1986-87, the then mamlatdar got the boundaries demarcated and installed cadastral stones (though temporary) around the property, leaving aside the stretch of cultivated property in their possession.
“Later in 1993, the forest department intervened and tried to take away the entire property from the possession of people, and even constructed a compound wall by 1997,” said Gaonkar.
“This activity was stiffly opposed by locals and a representation was submitted to the Mamlatdar. The matter was then amicably resolved.”
“However, the reserved forest matter had now cropped in and it has created hurdles to our property,” added Laximan Gaonkar.
The residents have appealed to the dy speaker to allow them to cultivate their lands in their possession for ages and to continue to take agriculture and other crops as kumeri activities, while also keeping their land out of the reserved forests.
