ROQUE DIAS |NT
Margao
In all 83 cases of communidade land encroachments are pending before the South Goa Communidade Administrator’s office since the year 2018.
Sources informed that the government does not have the details of the lands that are encroached upon, including the areas illegally held, and this has slowed the process of taking action against the encroachers.
The Revenue Department has issued them with the notices under Article 371 (2) read with Articles 372 of the Code of Communidade, but no hearing held for the last two years.
As per the available information, of the total 83 pending cases, most are in Canacona taluka. Salcete has in all 23 encroachers on communidade land, while Quepem taluka stand third in the list. Sancoale of Mormugao taluka has five encroachments.
A complaint filed by the then Canacona mamlatdar with the South Goa Communidade Administrator against several encroachers, also seem to be gathering dust.
The silver lining, however, is that cognizance and action has been initiated in a complaint filed by Narayan Naik on March 3, 2020.
Naik, who has pointed out encroachment, had forwarded the complaint to the South Goa Collector, who later forwarded it to the South Goa Communidade Administrator directing to inspect the site and report back.
It is learnt that the escrivao of the Sancoale communidade has submitted the inspection report on July 7 for further action.
When contacted, South Goa Communidade Administrator, Vishal Kundaikar, said that he will study the cases and would try his best to speed up hearing of these cases.
“I have recently taken over the charge (as South Goa administrator). I will recall the files and study the matter, and try to hear the cases speedily,” he promised.
Sources, however, disclosed that nearly 20 structures in Sirvoi communidade have been demolished in the last 2 years.
