MARGAO
The proposed rehabilitation of the 325 slum dweller families inhabiting the migrant-dominated Moti Dongor seemed suddenly moving on a fast mode.
In fact, attribute it to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls or simply the anxiety of the powers that be to rehabilitate the slum dwellers atop the hillock, it has been found that the government machinery, right from Revenue Secretary down to the district Collector, South to the Land survey teams all working in tandem to work out a rehabilitation package for the slum dwellers.
Even as the sword of Damocles has been hanging over the heads of the Moti Dongor inhabitants over the last one decade since 2013 after the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades ordered the demolition of the structures, terming them as illegal, only to be later stayed by the High Court, the ongoing government’s exercise seemed to have been carried out not only to convey to the High Court that the government has in principle agreed to rehabilitate the inhabitants, but work out a housing package as part of the rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation of the Moti Dongor slum dwellers was first mooted days after Margao MLA Digambar Kamat quit the Congress to join the BJP on September 14, 2022. This was followed with the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant making a provision of Rs five crore in the budget estimates for the Financial year 2023-24 to take the rehabilitation plan to the logical conclusion.
A glance at the minutes of the February 22 last meeting attended by senior government officials along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat shed light on the ambitious exercise to rehabilitate the 325 slum dweller families at Moti Dongor.
On the legal front, the meeting took the decision to convey the “in principle” decision of the Goa government to High Court hearing the writ petition filed by the Moti Dongor inhabitants challenging the Administrator’s 2013 order to raze down the illegal structures.
With officials of the Land Survey department capping the demarcation of an area admeasuring 23,800 sq metres for the purpose of rehabilitation, the authorities seemed to have now focused its attention on how to go about the rehabilitation plan executed on the ground.
In fact, a glance at the minutes of the February 22 meeting indicates that the government is now focusing its attention on rehabilitation.
In fact, the Secretary Revenue clearly stated at the meeting that once the slum area is demarcated and identified, a scheme for redevelopment has to be worked out by the Department of Municipal Administration and Goa State Urban Development Department either on Public Private partnership (PPP) mode or through any agency of State Government through any scheme/funded by the Central Government.
While reminding that the government had made a provision of Rs five crore in the last Budget for land acquisition, the Revenue Secretary reminded that the same will lapse on March 31, 2024, adding the Director of Municipal Administration shall ensure that adequate budgetary provisions are made for the land acquisition. It was further stated that the proposal along with the administrative approval should be referred to the Collector (South) at the earliest.
The meeting also directed Collector, South to work out the probable land rates as well as the requisition amount as per the Procurement Policy.
“The department of Municipal Administration shall prepare a detailed report on the proposed rehabilitation and submit to Revenue Department for submitting the same to Additional Government Advocate for placing before the High Court as and when the matter comes up for final hearing”, the meeting stated.
