The land acquired at Sonsodo for the kabrastan project.
MARGAO
October 12, 2022, had raised a ray of hope for the Muslim community that its long-pending demand for a full-fledged kabrastan (burial ground) at Sonsodo would finally be fulfilled.
On that day, the High Court issued directions to the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to undertake and complete the work of developing a fully equipped kabrastan on the acquired land at Sonsodo as expeditiously as possible and, in any case, within six months.
Four years down the line, however, the ground reality at Sonsodo remains unchanged. The 30,000-square-metre plot, acquired by the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) 15 years ago, continues to lie undeveloped, with little indication of when the long-awaited burial ground project will take off.
Not only have the High Court's directions, including the six-month deadline set for the PWD and GSUDA, remained unimplemented, but uncertainty also prevails over how the project will now be executed. This follows GSUDA's withdrawal from the project after expressing its inability to undertake the work in an affidavit filed before the High Court earlier this year.
With the kabrastan issue once again taking centre stage ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, as has often been the case in the run-up to polls, the question uppermost in the minds of the Muslim community is when the government will finally initiate and complete the long-pending burial ground project at Sonsodo.
The issue assumes added significance as the land acquisition process will complete 15 years this November. The MMC had acquired the land and handed it over to representatives of the Jamia Masjid, Malbhat-Margao, in November 2011, just a few months ahead of the 2012 Assembly elections, raising expectations that the community's long-standing demand would finally be addressed.
While the Muslim community continues to await the promised kabrastan, the authorities and other stakeholders may now have another hurdle to contend with. Assuming the government rolls out the detailed plan for the construction of the kabrastan at Sonsodo, questions are being raised over whether the prevailing Town and Country Planning (TCP) rules and regulations would permit construction on only 2,500 square metres of the total 30,000-square-metre acquired plot.
If that is indeed the case, the project could face yet another roadblock, further delaying the fulfilment of a demand that has remained unresolved despite land acquisition, government assurances and explicit directions from the High Court.
====
With PWD back in picture, project comes full circle THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO: The Public Works Department (PWD) is now in the spotlight after the government informed the High Court that the department would undertake the construction of a kabrastan for the Muslim community on the land acquired by the Margao Municipal Council at Sonsodo.
The PWD has entered the picture after the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) forwarded the file to the department, expressing its inability to execute the work in accordance with the High Court's directions issued on October 12, 2022.
The latest development has, in fact, brought the Sonsodo kabrastan issue almost full circle after a decade and a half. The PWD had initially commenced work on the proposed burial ground at Sonsodo before withdrawing from the project for reasons that remain unclear.
Sources said that if the PWD floats a tender for the construction of the proposed kabrastan, the project could take at least 18 months to complete. This is evident from the submission made by the GSUDA Member Secretary before the High Court, stating that the preparation of tender documents and other preliminary procedures would take around 90 days, followed by an estimated 18 months for the actual construction of the burial site.
====
Damu to arrange CM meeting over burial ground after Diwali
MARGAO: After a Muslim community delegation called on him with the vexed issue of burial grounds, BJP State President Damu Naik assured them that he would make efforts to resolve the long-pending kabrastan issue in Fatorda before the upcoming Assembly elections.
Naik assured the delegation that he would arrange a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, to be attended by the South Goa District Collector and PWD and TCP officers, after Diwali.
Carol Matin stated that the issue should be addressed on humanitarian grounds, keeping the needs and sentiments of the community in mind. He further alleged that the kabrastan land had been converted into a low-cost housing project and raised questions about the role of the builder and the financial dealings involved.
Goa leader Mujib stated that Muslims in Fatorda had been made fearful through local political narratives suggesting that Damu Naik would target the Muslim community. According to him, this perception had kept Damu Naik away from sections of the community.
Haj Committee Chairman Urfan Mulla said the historical record also deserved attention. “In 2007, when Damu G. Naik was the MLA of Fatorda, he reportedly took steps to acquire 30,000 [square feet] of land for the Muslim community's kabrastan,” he said.
