The State government's attempts to bring in an amendment to the Code of Comunidade to prevent the demolition of houses on comunidade lands would set a bad precedent. The State has comunidade bodies whose lands belongs to the respective communities to be shared commonly by gaunkars. The regularization emanates from the fact that encroachers on comunidade land are non-locals. The comunidade is one of the last standing institutions that reflects Goa’s uniqueness. The government has legislators surviving on votes from illegal settlers on comunidade land. It is a high time that the political apparatus of the State takes serious view of the menace of illegal and unauthorized constructions and stop their supporting lobbies or vote banks. The regularization of illegal structures on comunidade lands will only encourage more such activities.
