Team Herald
MARGAO: The land acquired at Sonsoddo will be exclusively designated as a burial ground for the Muslim community, a shift from the original Margao Municipal Council resolution, which had proposed broader usage. This development comes as the concerned groups of citizens await the High Court’s decision on the proposed kabrastan.
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This information was detailed in a response filed by the Department of Urban Development to questions raised by Opposition leader Yuri Alemao and AAP MLA Venzy Viegas. The reply clarified that the land at Sonsoddo would be allocated specifically for the Muslim burial ground, diverging from initial proposals that may have included provisions for other communities.
The kabrastan land at Sonsoddo has been a contentious topic for an extended period, involving community groups and local authorities. Currently, the matter is before the High Court.
In the Department’s reply, it was also noted that during a survey and inspection carried out on March 13, officials from the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records observed that the only access to the land acquired for the kabrastan had been encroached upon by a cemetery managed by the St Joaquim Chapel committee in Borda. However, the committee later submitted to the High Court that there is an alternate access route available from an adjacent property, which could be used for the kabrastan.
Additionally, the Margao Municipal Council had received objections on November 18, 2022, from residents of Borda, Gogol, and Agalli against the development of the kabrastan on the acquired land, citing concerns about environmental destruction and potential damage to the surrounding area.
The landholders adjoining the acquired land initially objected to the demarcation process, but no opposition was noted during the actual demarcation, which was completed by officials from the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records, Panjim, on March 14 this year.
The High Court, in its orders dated February 20 and March 4, 2024, issued directions to the Member Secretary of the Goa State Development Agency (GSUDA) to proceed with the demarcation of the land, which has since been completed.
