MAPUSA
In a stormy annual general body meeting of the Calangute Comunidade held after a gap of three years on Sunday, the shareholders unanimously decided to revoke all no objection certificates (NOCs) issued to both government and private entities by the present managing committee.
The shareholders also resolved to provide 200 square metres of land adjacent to St Anthony’s Chapel at Gauravaddo, Calangute, to the chapel committee for parking.
The managing committee, especially the attorney, Anthony D’Souza, had to face the wrath of the members at the AGM for granting NOCs to anyone and everyone without taking the shareholders into confidence.
“Why were the survey numbers not mentioned when NOCs were issued for huge parcels of comunidade
land that were dished out to different individuals/parties?” questioned, Clotilda
Braganza.
In his defense, attorney, Anthony D’Souza said that no NOCs were given by the
managing committee during its term.
Countering the attorney, former sarpanch and shareholder, Joseph Sequeira, produced records which showed that Anthony D’Souza had signed several NOCs as the attorney of the comunidade.
Several members questioned the managing committee for gifting comunidade land with ulterior motive without calling for the AGM.
The managing committee was also taken to task for selling huge area of comunidade land on the Baga hill near the popular Baga Retreat House.
A shareholder brought to the attention of the AGM that around 28,000 square metres of land under survey No 265/1 was sold to one, A Bose. He also said that another 3,900 square metres of land under survey No 265/2 in the same area was still with the comunidade.
Denying any sale of comunidade land in the area, the attorney said the land in question never belonged to the comunidade.
Incidentally, the area under survey Nos 265/1 and 265/2 has been shown as settlement zone in the present ODP, a source informed.
The AGM also debated on the issue of a pond belonging to the comunidade which was leased out to Nazri Resort.
The resort owners have taken the pond inside their property and converted it into a swimming pool.
The attorney, Anthony D’Souza, informed the members that Nazri resort has been paying Rs 12,000 per year to the comunidade as leasing for the pond.
In another unanimous resolution, the shareholders decided to allot 200 square metres of land to St Anthony’s chapel for parking.
The shareholders rejected a proposal from two locals, Maria and Flory D’Costa who had requested that the area be given to them on lease.
The managing committee was grilled for not holding the AGM for the last three years even as comunidade President, Octaviano Pires, chose to blame the absence of secretary for the impasse.
A local Agnel Lobo said that he had visited the comunidade on several occasions but he always found the office closed.
Calangute Comunidade boasts of having 1000 shareholders but only around 30 members were present for the AGM on Sunday.
