the goan I network
MARGAO
It’s official. A spacious kabrastan for the Muslim community will finally be located in Margao on land admeasuring 20,000 square meters with the government giving its sanction for special capital grant of Rs 15.16 crore to the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) to acquire and procure the land in question to set up multi-public utility services.
While saying that the kabrastan will come in an area which already plays host to two Masjids and is considered a Muslim neighbourhood in Margao, indicating that the land in question is located around Sirvodem, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai has appealed to all concerned not to rake up any more controversy over the kabrastan. He claimed that Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and those who matter were all taken into confidence before he took up the land acquisition proposal with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for sanction of funds. “The Margao MLA is in agreement with the area where the kabrastan will come up for the Muslim community. This issue has been pending for decades and now I feel it stands settled”, Sardesai told media.
The land is located in Chalta No 7 of PT Sheet NO 258 at Margao and Survey No 203/1 and 203/4 of Navelim village.
To a question, he said the Sonsodo site for the kabrastan was shelved by the government after the local Catholic community strongly objected to the burial ground for the Muslims near the existing cemetery. “In deference to the wishes of the Catholic community, I had taken the initiative to shift the kabrastan to Margao and I am confident that there will be no objections to the new location’, he said.
To another question, the TCP Minister said SGPDA will go about obtaining the NOC from the land owners immediately. “I do not want to name the locality, but the place has two Masjids and is a Muslim inhabited area”, he said.
“I had requested the Muslims to have faith in me, promising them a solution after the Sonsodo project hit a road block. The community had reposed faith in me and today I have set the process in motion”, he said.
Vijai says support to BJP is
now paying dividends
MARGAO: The TCP minister took the opportunity to justify his decision to join hands with the BJP to form the coalition government in 2017. “I had gone with the BJP to do such type of works so that the benefits go to the people. After I tied up with the BJP, Fatorda has received the most favoured status”, Sardesai said. He pointed out that Common Minimum Programme (CMP) had taken the kabrastan proposal forward. “The government decision to sanction funds amounting to Rs 15.16 crore only goes to prove that the government is not against Muslims. If the government was anti-Muslim, the special capital grant would not have materialised”, he said.
