When the Margao Municipal Council inked an agreement with the management of the Jamia Masjid to hand over land admeasuring 30,000 sq mts at Sonsodo for a spacious kabrastan way back on December 9, 2011, hopes were raised that the MoU would finally resolve the decades old burial ground problem facing the Margao’s Muslim community.
The agreement had envisaged transfer, management and maintenance of the Sonsodo land to the Muslim body, with a promise that the government and the civic body will fund development of land for the proposed burial ground.
Two-and-half years down the line, there’s still no solution yet to the vexed issue. In fact, the issue is locked in a deadlock, with the government dilly dallying on the question of taking a final call on the development of the acquired land for the burial ground. There’s no change in the ground reality at the acquired land at Sonsodo. The tender floated for the development of the land for kabrastan during the previous Congress regime could not be executed on technical grounds.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said that a fresh tender will have to be floated by the government after modifying the plan. “The tender could not be executed because of some technical problems. The plan may undergo some modifications before it is tendered”, he said.
The issue had figured at the last Assembly session, with Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar asking Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai to inspect the land in question along with government officials. Though the acquired land was inspected by a team headed by Sardesai, the fate of the proposed kabrastan remains uncertain.
The Fatorda MLA said he will once again raise the issue in the House in the Monsoon Session of the Assembly beginning later this month. “I will seek details on the status of the kabrastan at Sonsodo”, he said.
PWD Chief Engineer, J S Rego has conceded that the steep gradient may come in the way of the development of the acquired land for the burial ground. He, however, has left it to the government to take a final call on the issue.
Says general secretary of the Jamia Masjid, Atik Banducda: “The Jamia Masjid wants the kabrastan at Sonsodo. There may an individual or two who are opposed to the kabrastan at Sonsodo. But, these individuals do not represent the Muslim community. The Jamia Masjid has once again knocked the doors of the government to build the kabrastan at Sonsodo”.
A local Muslim leader Matin Carol, however, said it is time the government reviews the kabrastan project at Sonsodo. “When the PWD chief engineer says the gradient is too steep, the government should reconsider the site. It appears the previous government had acquired the land at Sonsodo knowing well that the site is not suited for the burial ground”, Matin added.
Incidentally, the proposed Kabrastan at Sonsodo evoked strong reservations from the parishioners of St Joaquim Chapel, Borda. They have questioned the logic behind construction of the kabrastan at Sonsodo on a hillock with more than 70 degree gradient. They feared that the hill cutting will affect the cemetery, hall and religious structures belonging to St Joaquim Fabrica close to the proposed kabrastan.
Says Adv Bernard D’Souza: “We are not against the kabrastan per se. But, at the same time, the kabrastan proposed at Sonsodo is not technically feasible because of the steep gradient. This has been confirmed by none other the PWD Chief Engineer. Let the government find an alternate site for the proposed burial grounds”.
