MARGAO
Will this circular from the Revenue department help put a stop to the rampant illegalities and encroachments on Comunidade land across the state, more so in South Goa?
The circular issued by the department provides a ray of hope to the Comunidades as the authorities now promise to finally crack a whip against encroachments that have been going on right under the nose of the government in recent times.
Comunidade stakeholders, however, are sceptical about the circular, with the President of Margao Comunidade Savio Correia saying he does not want to take the circular by its face value, but would prefer to wait and watch whether it would bring about a change in the ground reality.
Joint Secretary Revenue Paresh Faldesai, in his circular, has pointed out that the Revenue department is in receipt of several encroachments on Comunidade land and said such cases are required to be examined and necessary action taken as per relevant provisions of the Code of Comunidades and Goa Land (Prohibition on Construction Act) 1995 (Goa Act 20 of 1995) without any further delay.
“The Revenue department has issued instructions to the Collectors and Administrator of Comunidades to take immediate action to remove the encroachments on Comunidade land. In order to check the encroachments on the Comunidade land, the Administrators of Comunidades are responsible and accountable for any encroachment of Comunidade lands in their respective zones,” the circular stated.
To prevent such encroachments, the Administrator of North Central and South zones have been instructed to ensure strict implementation of the provision of Code of Comunidades and Goa Land (Prohibition on Construction) Act 1995 (Goa Act 20 of 1995) directly. The Administrators have been further directed to issue directions to panchayat and municipal authorities to disconnect the electricity and water connections of illegal structures.
The circular has mandated the Administrators to submit a weekly report to the Collectors concerned on the action taken to remove encroachments. Both Collectors shall compile the reports and submit these to the Revenue department every Monday without fail.
On a parting note, the circular has warned that any future encroachment on Comunidade land will lead to severe consequences for the officer concerned for dereliction of duty.
“The circular was issued by the Revenue department with the approval of the government. We have been in receipt of complaints that the Comunidades turn a blind eye to the encroachments as a result of which illegal structures come up”, Paresh added.
Margao Comunidade President, Savio Correia, however, says only time will tell whether the Revenue department’s circular will have any bearing on the ground
situation.
He also raised a pertinent point, whether the direction to disconnect water and power supplies is as per the Supreme Court’s ruling which has ruled that both these constitute the right to life. “Anyway, we have to give time to the Revenue department as well as the Comunidade administrators to act on the ground. Let us wait and see,” he said.
Correia added: “We have not seen any demolition carried out by the Administrator of Comunidades in recent months, if not years. Complaints of encroachments and illegal structures are not disposed of by the office. The office of the Administrator of Comunidades has become a part-time job, with no full-fledged officer posted as the Administrator of South Goa in recent times. This only indicates how serious is the government is in strengthening the Comunidades.”
