MARGAO, JULY 10
Expressing total dissatisfaction over the action of the Goa government in complying with its directions on the Kabrastan for Margao’s Muslim community, the National Commission for the Minorities have directed Chief Secretary Sanjeev Srivastava to appear before the panel on July 16 in Delhi.
The Commission has further asked the Chief Secretary to explain the position of the government along with all necessary files and documents.
Reminding the Chief Secretary that the Goa government was directed to submit to the panel the first report by June 25, the Commission said the government has failed to comply with the directions and has instead sent a letter to the South Goa collector to take necessary action.
At a hearing held on May 25, the Commission had issued directions to the State government to submit action taken report and progress made for the acquisition of suitable land and its allotment for the Kabrastan within six month.
The minority panel had further directed that the Goa government will submit action taken report and progress in the matter necessarily by the 25th of every month. It was further directed that the first report by the Goa government may be submitted to the Commission by June 25, which the government has failed to comply so far.
Incidentally, the National Commission for the Minorities had rapped the Goa government on the issue and had concluded that the kabrastan issue is not only a clear case of communal discrimination against the Muslim community, but also a categorical case of harassment and illegal deprivation on one pretext or the other by the State government.
In fact, the Commission had said that the State government has completely failed to carry out its statutory duty and Constitutional obligations for the allotment of suitable land for the kabrastan even after the passing of the unanimous resolution by the Goa Legislative Assembly way back in 1999 to acquire 99000 square meters of land at Aquem.
Meanwhile, with the government failing to come out with a concrete proposal on the setting up of a kabrastan in Margao, representatives of various Mosques from South Goa are meeting at Davorlim to discuss the situation and chalk out the next course of action.
Shaikh Jina informed that the meeting will be held on Sunday wherein the representatives will deliberate on the sensitive issue in the light of the failure to meet the long-pending demand of the minority community.
