PANJIM: The State government on Thursday clarified that its decision to consider the Mayem villagers under “Occupant Class II” category was to prohibit sale of land to non-villagers or non-Goans. However, in the interest of the villagers, it can consider classifying certain cases under ‘Class I’ category making them the owners of the land.
The district administration also decided to recommend that the government consider withdrawing all criminal and civil cases filed against Mayem villagers, in different courts, by compounding fines.
North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan through a public notice issued earlier this week, said the government has decided to grant occupancy rights to the residents of Mayem under the Goa (Abolition of Proprietorship, Titles and Grants of Lands) Act 2014 and the Goa (Abolition of Proprietorship, Titles and Grants of Lands) Rules 2015.
The Collector has invited applications from the villagers claiming rights on property, who after provisional declaration, would be declared as ‘Class II occupant’. However, villagers objected to this, demanding that their houses be considered under ‘Class I’ giving them full rights over the structure and land.
In this regard, a meeting was called by Speaker and Mayem MLA Anant Shet, attended by Mayem Bhumochan Nagrik Samiti, North Goa Collector, Deputy Collector Bicholim Mahadev Aroundekar, Mamlatdar Gurudas Desai, and Director of Settlements and Land Records Venancio Furtado.
“As per the Act, the right of land is vested with the government. Government is Class I occupant while the villagers would be considered under Class II category. The step intends to restrict villagers from sale of land to outsiders. The residents would be the owner of the structure but land would be vested with government,” Mohanan said during the meeting.
“Also there is no provision to vest the power of ownership of land to devasthan or comunidade. We want to stop the misuse of land,” she said.
However, the villagers were not ready to accept the clause, wherein they demanded that their houses – structure and land on which it is situated – be considered under Class I. “This will give us right over the land. No villagers want to sell their land. But at least in case of house, it should be under class I, so that we can mortgage or renovate it without government assent,” Mayem Bhumochan Nagrik Samiti President Kashinath Mayekar said.
Following, continuous pressure, the Collector agreed to put up their request before the government, provided the villagers make a detailed representation with their demands. “Let the government decide on it. It is for government to take a policy decision,” she said.
The villagers also requested that criminal and civil cases pending before court be withdrawn. The Speaker requested the Collector, to put this up before the government for consideration.
“If the government has filed cases, we can ask government to consider. But whatever cases the custodians have filed, will automatically stand disposed off once the villagers become the occupants,” she said.
