VASCO: Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho, who was recently appointed chairman of the sub-committee for regularization of illegal houses, slammed the Congress for not understanding the need to resolve the issue of regularizing houses on Comunidade land and keeping it hanging for many years.
He said the committee under his leadership was well-seized of the issue. It would urgently formulate a policy and prepare a detailed roadmap, which would be submitted to the Convener of the commission before the end of the assembly session.
“The post of chairman of the sub-committee is more important than the post of SGPDA chairman simply because this is an issue that is hanging for decades. People wanted resolutions and wanted the government to act either way. As the revenue minister in 2000, I tried my best to regularise these structures. However, an attorney of the communidade went to the court and stalled the whole process. Thereafter nobody took interest, but I never lost track of the issue. Finally I believe something is happening on this front,” said Godinho.
He continued, “Governments talk about empowering the common man, but fail to understand that these people have been staying in those structures for decades together with all amenities. Still the structures are called illegal as they are not in the resident’s name. This is one step by which the BJP government is trying to empower the common man. The Congress failed to do it despite being in power for several years.”
Regarding the date by which the whole procedure for regularization of structures should be completed, Godinho said, “I will submit an interim report before the Assembly on how we can move forward in fulfilling the promise made during the last assembly election. Without any doubt, before the next assembly session, 99 percent of these illegal structures on communidade land will be regularised. The communidades have lost all hope in getting back the encroached land, and thus, regularisation is the only solution.”
