“Since times immemorial there have been common landsinheriting in the village communities”
“These public utility lands in the villages were forcenturies used for common benefit of the villagers of the village”
“They were generally treated as unalienable in order thattheir status as community land be preserved”
“In large parts of the country this common village land hasbeen grabbed by unscrupulous persons”
“In many states government orders have been issued by theState Government permitting allotment of Gram Sabha land to private persons andcommercial enterprises on payment of some money. In our opinion all suchgovernment orders are illegal and should be ignored”
“We give directions to all the State Governments in thecountry that they should prepare schemes for eviction of illegal andunauthorised occupants of Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat lands”
“Long duration of such illegal occupation or hugeexpenditure in making constructions thereon or political connections must notbe treated as a justification for condoning this illegal act or forregularising the illegal possession”
--- Supreme Court ofIndia’s judgement in Civil Appeal No. 1132/2011 @ SLP © No. 3109 / 2011
What REVENUE MINISTER Francis D’Souza says
“The incorrect response by the previous government hasunnecessarily embroiled communidade land in the controversy”
“The government would consider regularising illegal housesthat were built up to the year 2000 on communidade properties in Goa”
- Revenue Minister Francis D’Souza,responding to a Private Members motion moved by Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho onJuly 14, 2012
