TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Comunidade of Margao has expressed disappointment over the interference of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai in its efforts to demolish illegal encroachments in its property at Talsanzor and hoped the MLA will exhibit leadership and statesmanship as is expected of him and strive to uphold the rule of law, in the days to come.
The Comunidade said it strongly feels that the MLA was misguided by the squatters into making the public statements, and has done so without ascertaining the facts.
Margao Comunidade Attorney Celestino Noronha said the MLA’s statement demanding protection to the illegal structures at Talsanzor goes contrary to the very concept of “rule of law” at the core of our democratic system. More so, when the MLA is well aware that the squatters have conducted themselves with utter and brazen disregard for the mandate of the law, and having acted in contravention thereof to raise the structures, he added.
Noronha said the MLA’s demanded would set at naught the law itself, and defeat the provisions of laws enacted to regulate development and construction and the purpose behind their enactment, besides, causing serious and incalculable prejudice to the right, title and interest of the Comunidade and its members, qua the properties in question. “MLA’s reference to the alleged disposal of applications under Article 372-A of the Code of Comunidades filed by the squatters after 12 years is misconceived and based on an erroneous notion of the law”, Noronha said, while charging Sardesai for pay scant regard to the collective opinion of the members of Comunidade of Margao expressed in the extra-ordinary meeting held on June 2, 2013 to reject the pleas for regularization of structures erected in the Comunidade property at Talsanzor.
“We wish to remind the MLA that a majority of the 400-odd members of our Comunidade and their families are electors in Fatorda constituency. Instead of supporting the Government’s decision to give primacy to the opinion of the Comunidade in the matter of regularization of encroachments, Sardessai is indulging in cheap, divisive and vote-bank oriented politics, he said.
, adding “the MLA, by his public utterances, is impliedly supporting the land mafia responsible for encroachments at Tolsanzor and Moti Dongor”.
