MARGAO
Is Moti Dongor a notified slum as per the laws in force, is a question that has come to the fore following the CM’s budget speech promising to rehabilitate the notified slum in Margao.
Moti Dongor resident and petitioner in the High Court, Maula Balabatti was clear in saying that Moti Dongor was declared a slum by the authorities in the 80’s and hence the area is now qualified for rehabilitation.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat also came clear on the issue of notified slum, saying Moti Dongor was notified as a slum in the 80’s, giving Moti Dongor a slum status.
Attorney of Aquem Comunidade, the owner of Moti Dongor, Celestin Noronha, however, has begged to differ. “I am sure that the Moti Dongor was never notified as a slum by the government. Hence, the area is not qualified for a slum status”, Celestin said.
President of adjoining Margao Comunidade, Savio Correia pointed out that any slum, if notified, should come under the Slum Area (Improvement & Clearance) Act to claim the status of a notified slum.
Incidentally, when the point over the notified slum was raised before the then South Goa Administrator of Comunidades, Sangeeta Naik, she was clear in observing “On the contention of the encroachers that the government had notified the area for slum development, the Administrator said the Slum Areas (Improvement & Clearance) Act, 1956 has not been extended to Goa and has no application within its territorial limits, adding “extension of Act to the state of Goa was essential, before any authority could issue a notification there under”.
