MARGAO
The Margao Municipal Council preferred to take no stand on the demand to revert the Sonsodo land for Kabrastan as the two months to submit objections and suggestions to the draft-Margao Outline Development Plan (ODP) ended on Tuesday.
The SGPDA is believed to have received around 4-5 applications objecting to the change in the zone of the Sonsodo land to low-cost housing and suggesting that the zone be reverted to the burial ground.
Officials in the know say the SGPDA suo moto cannot revert the zone of the Sonsodo land from low-cost housing to the burial grounds without the say of the Margao Municipal Council, which is now the owner of the land admeasuring 30,000 square meters.
Officials, however, pointed out that the civic body will not be able to abdicate its responsibility on the issue as the SGPDA is likely to seek its opinion and stand on the matter given that the planning body has received the suggestions for change in the zone from low-cost housing to burial grounds.
For the moment, MMC has not adopted any stand on the burning issue when Muslim organizations have demanded that the Kabrastan be set up at the Sonsodo land given that the land was acquired for the purpose. Officials, however, said the MMC will have to take a clear stand on the matter as and when the PDA seek its official opinion and stand on the demand to set up the Kabrastan at Sonsodo.
The Goan understands that the Margao Municipal Chief Officer had put up a note to Chairperson Lyndon Pereira on the sensitive matter given applications received by his office demanding that the Sonsodo land is only utilized for Kabrastan.
Sources, however, said the Chairperson reportedly replied to the Chief Officer saying the council had already in the past taken the stand to shift the Kabrastan to Sirvodem-Kharebandh, adding there should be no change in the stand of the civic body.
