MARGAO
In major setback to the central government’s 3D land survey, the gram sabha of the Navelim village Panchayat on Sunday rejected the survey in the village, with members questioning the objective behind the survey only in select Municipal areas and villages.
Gram sabha members raised their hands to oppose the controversial land survey, as they raised their strong apprehensions to the survey insisting that the exercise is nothing but an attempt to merge the village into the neighbouring Margao Municipal Council to carve out a greater Municipal Corporation.
Members also raised fears that the land survey is initiated to bring the village into the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGDPA) to increase the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the benefit of outside real estate developers.
The issue prominently figured at the Sunday gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Paul Pereira when the members demanded to know the objective behind the proposed 3D survey and why only Navelim and select villages in Salcete, Cuncolim and Tiswadi taluka are being surveyed under the so called pilot project.
In fact, Sarpanch Paul led from the front to oppose the survey, questioning the rationale behind undertaking the survey only in Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim and the surrounding areas of these municipal bodies. “There are so many Municipalities in Goa, including Pernem, Canacona, Sanquelim etc, but the 3D Survey is being undertaken only in the municipal areas of Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim and the surrounding villages. The government should explain why the 3D survey is not undertaken in the remaining Municipal Councils and villages. Assuming the survey is a pilot project, why it is undertaken only in Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim and the surrounding villages”, the Sarpanch demanded to know.
He said the entire objective behind the survey is to merge Navelim village into the neighbouring Margao Municipal Council and bring the village under the SGPDA.
The Sarpanch reminded that Navelkars had in the recent past opposed all plans to merge the village into Margao Municipal area. Referring to the media briefing held by the Land Survey officials a day ago to allay public apprehensions, Paul said, “When a scribe posed a query to an official what if the citizens do not cooperate with the survey, the official pointed out that the survey will not be forced on the citizens. In such circumstances, the survey will serve no purpose.
“The 3D survey is an attempt once again to merge the village into Margao. Today, the Navelim gram sabha has decided not to participate in the survey”, he added.
Gram sabha member Inacio Vas said the gram sabha empowers the Panchayat to send a letter to the authorities not to send the surveyors in Navelim village. “People of Navelim are opposed to the survey. The survey is a clear attempt to increase the FAR with the objective of disposing of the properties to outside real estate developers. We had opposed any plans to merge Navelim into the Margao Municipal Council or the SGDPA. Our stand remains the same”, he asserted.
Gram sabha member Herald Pinto questioned why the government is trying to merge Navelim through the backdoor via the 3D survey. Saying the gram sabha rejects the proposed survey in Navelim, Pinto said why there is an attempt to merge Navelim into Margao when the commercial capital cannot handle issues plaguing the city. “Send a notice to the Land Survey department and tell them that Navelim is not in favour of the 3D survey”, he told the Sarpanch.
