PANJIM: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday distributed provisional certificates (declaration) under the Goa (Abolition of Proprietorships, Titles and Grants of Lands) Act, 2014 to 62 beneficiaries of Mayem Village.
“This issue was pending for so many years only because successive governments had failed to understand it. When I was Chief Minister in 2003 the process was started by me to give ownership and now I feel in the next two and half years, all the applicants will get sanads,” Parrikar said, addressing the gathering at the distribution function, in the presence of Dy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza.
Seeking to resolve the contentious issue of Mayem evacuee property, Parrikar as chief minister had introduced a special bill transferring all controversial custodian lands to the Goa government. The Act makes the government owner of all uncultivated, grass and pasture lands spread across the State and seeks to nullify all liabilities on these lands.
“The matter regarding sanads is in court and the court has given orders only to distribute provisional certificates. Once the court’s verdict is out sanads will be distributed,” he said
D’Souza said, “If this law was enacted 55 years ago the matter would have been solved within months. Many governments said that they would solve this issue but if you go to see this issue is very difficult but now the government has to scrutinise the matter properly and follow correct procedure so that people don’t go to court.” MLA Anant Shet urged the govt to appoint officers if needed to speed up the sanad process as the number of applications received is around 1141.
