MARGAO
As the burning kabrastan issue takes centre stage ahead of the Assembly polls, the Margao Municipal Council has come under the scanner for having proposed an alternate site at Sirvodem-Khareband for the burial grounds, which has till date not come in possession of the civic body.
A glance at resolution No 4653 adopted by the Margao Municipal Council further showed that the previous council sought to acquire the land (15165 square meters) for the purpose of multi public utility services, without making any mention that it was being acquired for the kabrastan.
When the land at Sirvodem was sought to be procured by the civic body, the then city fathers were told that once procured, it could be used for various purposes, be it for recreation, commercial or any other purpose.
That’s not all. A further glance at resolution No 4653 further shows the previous council had even gone to the extent of promising the then city fathers that acquisition and procurement of the land at Sirvodem will help in creation of assets in the nature of immovable property, which would obviously add up to the income of the council in the years to come.
This has only thrown up a question or two, whether the previous council had given false hopes to the city fathers that the land in question, once procured by the civic body, when the intended use of the land was for setting up of the proposed kabrastan.
Moreover, a further glance at the resolution clearly shows that a major chunk of the land which was sought to be procured at Sirvodem falls in the adjoining village of Navelim.
Questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body whether the municipality can acquire land outside its jurisdiction, more so when the neighbouring village of Navelim has adopted a host of resolutions, opposing the setting up of the kabrastan in the village.
Incidentally, even as the present Digambar Kamat-Vijai Sardesai- backed council headed by Chairperson Lyndon Pereira has stuck to the Sirvodem site to set up the proposed kabrastan, Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes has questioned the logic of sticking to the Sirvodem site when the land in question is non-existent.
Sources informed that the Chief Officer has categorically pointed out to the Chairperson that no proposal can be made on a land, which is neither acquired or procured and when it is not in the possession of the civic body.
The Chief Officer is believed to have drawn the attention of the Chairperson that the feasibility of the land in question at Sirvodem for the burial ground has not been checked to date given that the land is located right on the banks of the river Sal.
Sources in the know say that by proposing to procure the land at Sirvodem, the previous Council had paved the way for the South Goa Planning and Development Authority to change the zone of the Sonsodo land admeasuring 30,000 square meters, which was acquired for kabrastan.
Members of the Muslim community have been fighting to restore the zone of the Sonsodo land to kabrastan so that the burial grounds come up on the acquired land, given that the proposed site at Sirvodem-Khareband is neither acquired nor procured by the civic body to date.
