‘Comunidade land oustees not entitled for rehabilitation’

Panaji: Toughening their stance on the demolition of illegal houses built on comunidade lands, representatives of comunidades have said  the ousted people  shall  not be entitled for rehabilitation, and that the government will set a wrong precedent if it gives alternative land for such people. 

The assertion came in the light of the authorities demolishing illegal houses built on the comunidade land in Sangolda in Bardez taluka, on the direction of the High Court of Bombay at Goa.

Oscar Chagas Silva, a representative of the Benaulim comunidade, said the  demolition of the illegal houses in Sangolda  is a positive step, adding that the action should be replicated across the state  as a deterrence  against mushrooming of such illegal structures on  comunidade lands.

“Comunidade land is not government land. It is people’s land.  Protection of such houses for the sake of securing vote banks is unacceptable,” he said.

Savio Correia, who was the moderator of the Comunidade Convention 2024, said  the government should bring in reforms by delegating powers to the comunidade attorneys to stop illegal constructions and take action against such structures.

“Currently, there is a complexity over  taking action against illegal constructions on the comunidade land by the attorney because  powers are vested with the administrators appointed by the government,” he explained.

According to him, the system has failed to protect the comunidade lands: political interference has fuelled encroachments on these tracts of land.

Correia said the comunidade commission has recommended that the government should empower the comunidade attorney to act against illegal constructions, issue stop-work orders and seek assistance of the police, flying squads for acting upon the orders  even at weekends and during public holidays.

These powers should be on par with those  conferred on sarpanches and chairpersons of municipal councils.

It is pertinent to note that the government failed to commemorate April 15 as the Comunidades Day, despite the comunidade commission recommending it in its report.