ASMITA POLJI
asmita@herald-goa.com
ANJUNA: The destruction of a hill in Little Vagator and the carving of over 2000 square metres of land has also excavated a huge debris of illegality. A joint inspection carried out by a jolted Anjuna Panchayat and Comunidade to “inspect” land under their control which was taken over in an illegal and brazen manner, itself seemed ironical and farcical.
An illegal third party, Mangaldas Govekar purportedly related to a powerful operator connected to the State Excise Department, who shares his name with a renowned late national figure known for his honesty, is supposedly controlling the illegal construction operations, with no papers, sanctions or permission.
Now here’s a shocker. This Mangaldas Govekar admits that he has no permission to carry out any construction work. He claimed that he had earlier obtained permission from the CRZ as well as Panchayat to organise events. However, he does not have permission for the current hill cutting and so-called “development” work.
But does an earlier permission to organise events does not constitute current permission to destroy the land and do construction.
This man is not connected either to the Comunidade or the three Gaonkars who are supposedly applicants for a limited lease to carry out “events” in Communidade land.
However, Herald reporters saw this man at the site of the inspection and even sign documents given to him by the site inspection authorities.
The irony or impunity of the situation was shocking a person with no legal standing (as confirmed by the Comunidade and panchayat) was present at the site in section as the man who was carrying our massive construction activity on Comunidade land.
This is how this Comunidade land is meant to be used if it is all above board
An area of around 2000 sqmt, in Survey No 206, is normally leased by Comunidade to three Gaonkars altogether who use to pay a nominal amount to the Communidade as per sqmt which amounts to Rs 37,500 per month.
The lease is normally for four months right from November 1st to February end. The previous lease got over in February 2022. The lease is supposed to be used for village events and functions.
This year the land on which illegal hill cutting is going on by a third party, has not yet even been leased to the Gaonkars
This year there is also a change in the Gaonkars who use to take the land on lease. In 2020-21 year the Gaonkars who had taken the land on lease were Joseph Lobo, Ashwek Parab and Prakash Parab. However, in the application for 2022-23, one of the three Ashwek Parab has been replaced by Navnath Parab.
When contacted President of Anjuna Communidade, Domnic Pereira, told Herald, ‘This is totally illegal, and nobody has the right to develop it, not even the Comunidade. Who has given them the authority to do so? It is done without even informing the Comunidade. We are going to file a complaint against the three Gaonkars since the property was the last sublet to them as well as against the concerned person who has developed the land,” Pereira said.
It was learned beyond doubt during the inspection that the hill cutting and the development were being carried out without any permission.
Stating that necessary action will be taken, Attorney of Anjuna Comunidade, Sebastian D’Souza who was present for the inspection said, “We have not issued any permission for this project. Whoever has done these illegalities should be punished. Now that we came to know the name of the concerned person doing the illegalities. We will file a complaint against him,” Sebastian D’Souza said.
After the site inspection, Anjuna Panchayat Member Sudesh Parsekar said that the issue will be taken up for discussion in the body meeting. “As soon as we received the complaint, we issued notice and conducted the inspection. We will check if the concerned person has any documentation with regard to this work. We will also take up this issue for discussion in our body meeting and decide the further course of action,” Parsekar said.
‘If Herald is here, we will not talk’
— Panchayat member overheard
saying by Herald reporter
Panchayat member later tells Herald reporter: ‘Please do not drag the issue, they are all locals’
ANJUNA: It was clear that neither the inspecting parties including the panchayat nor the third-party encroacher who is doing the illegal construction were in no mood to face Herald’s questions. A member of Team Herald overheard a conversation between people on-site with one of them saying, “Is the Herald reporter here? We will not talk to them.”
Interestingly they were more than comfortable speaking to some other local media present. Later, when they figured out the presence of Team Herald there was disappointment writ large.
One purported member of the panchayat even spoke to the Herald reporter and said “Do not drag the issue since it was a local who was doing it to make some income during the tourist season.
By cutting the hill and destroying communicate land with no permission and flouting all rules, one might add not to drag the issue.
