Confusion over ownership of Baina beach

VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) has unanimously passed a resolution to give a construction license for the ambitious Baina beautification project conceptualised by Mormugao MLA Milind Naik and initiated by the tourism department. However, confusion prevails over who is the owner of Baina beach; the MMC opposition camp has claimed that the beach belongs to the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), while MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik has claimed that the beach has no owner. Additionally, the MPT has claimed that, under a provision of the Major Port Trusts Act, it owns the area within 50 meters of the high tide line.

The ownership issue was raised by councillor Murari Bandekar at a special council meeting on Friday. He stated that before giving any permission for the beautification project, the MMC should first check who owns Baina beach. He added, “As per a Central government gazette dated May 21, 2000, Baina beach belongs to MPT. Therefore, MMC should first check its records and then stake its claim for the beach.”However, Chairperson Naik stated that if the MPT owned the beach, it should show documents of the same. “Today, we unanimously resolved to give construction permission to the Tourism Department for the Baina beautification project. I believe that MPT is not the owner of Baina beach, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Tourism Department. Also, it is clear from form I & XIV records that, except for MMC, who is the owner of a piece of land leased to Marina bar, nobody owns any area at the beach. Hence, we will request the government to give us vacant land on which we can take up developmental projects,” said Naik at a press briefing after the council meeting.

Meanwhile, when contacted, MPT Chairman I Jeyakumar informed that “as per a provision of the Major Port Trusts Act 1963, the 50 metre area between the high tide line and the land belongs to MPT and nobody can claim on the said stretch."