TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: About 70 applicants who had booked housing plots at Mokhard-Bhatpal in Canacona over 23 years ago continue to linger on as subsequent governments have failed to allot the plots.
According to the applicants, about 70 applicants had booked 130 plots of the Goa Housing Board (GHB) at Mokhar-Bhatpal, each making a payment of Rs 1,500 as booking amount on March 15, 1990. The rate of the plots that time was quoted at Rs 50 per sq mtr.
Since then, the Housing Board has reportedly failed to pursue the allotment procedure for the plots, basically meant for low income citizens.
“In December 2010, the GHB announced that the plots will be allotted on auction and the rate was fixed at Rs 1,700 per sq mtr, to which the applicants objected and did not participate in the auction,” said an applicant, Angelo Barretto.
“However, we learnt that 10 plots were auctioned, leaving us, the original applicants in the lurch, especially when the housing plots are basically meant for low income group,” said Barretto.
“All the 70 applicants are firm in their decision that they want the plots without any auction or lottery system, which we consider unethical, especially when we booked the plots and paid booking fees way back in 1990,” added Barretto.
Some applicants claimed that the initial rates of Rs 50 per sq mtr were increased to Rs 350 sq mtr, and thereafter carrying out some developments, the rates were fixed in the range between Rs 400 and Rs 500 per sq mtr.
“The GHB purchased the land from the original owner at Rs 5 per sq mtr with an assurance that it would be allotted to low income group citizens,” informed another applicant.
It is further informed that these applicants had submitted a memorandum to the then chief minister Digambar Kamat, when he visited the village to attend a function, but nothing was done by the government.
Some applicants claimed that after they met GHB Chairman Milind Naik, he favourably cleared the file for allotment of the plots to original applicants, but they have accused the GHB of trying to create obstacles quoting some Central government directions and saying that the plots cannot be allotted in the manner decided before.
