MARGAO
The intervener in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the vexed kabrastan issue at Sonsodo has squarely blamed the Margao Municipal Council for not applying its mind while acquiring land admeasuring 30,190 sq mtrs for the proposed kabrastan at Sonsodo in the year 2011.
In fact, intervener Blaza Mota told the media that the existing Christian cemetery owned by the St Joaquim Chapel, Borda was built way back on April 9 in the year 1995, while the Margao Municipal Council had acquired the land for the burial grounds/kabrastan only in the year 2011.
Referring to the survey and demarcation exercise carried out by the Land Survey Department in the presence of officials of government agencies at Sonsodo last week, Blaze blamed the Margao Municipal Council for the mess created at Sonsodo.
“It is clear that the Margao Municipal Council in 2011 did not acquire land for the road access to the proposed site for the burial grounds/kabrastan. This only goes to show that the MMC officials either did not apply their mind at the time of land acquisition over the need for a road access to the acquired land or did not visit the site before the acquisition,” he said, adding ‘otherwise, how does one explain that the while the MMC has acquired 30,190 sq mtrs of land for the burial grounds/kabrastan has not made provision for a dedicated road access to the acquired land.”
He added: “The recent survey of the area has shown that the road access to the burial ground/kabrastan is shown through the Christian cemetery. This raises the question whether the MMC has acquired the land which is being used by the Christian cemetery all these years for the road access and why did the MMC not acquire separate parcel of land for a dedicated road access to the proposed burial ground/kabrastan.”
Reminding that the MMC had resolved to acquire the land at Sonsodo for the burial grounds for all the three religious communities, Blaze prayed that the High Court would take cognizance of the MMC resolution and ensure that the MMC allots the land for the burial grounds to meet the requirements of all communities.
