TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: A change in political guard in the state a year ago has virtually left this Fernandes family high and dry.
Promises made by the previous Congress government headed by then Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat to compensate the legal heirs of late Aninha family with alternate land in lieu of their ancestral land admeasuring 16,091 sq mts acquired for the proposed Kabrastan for Margao’s Muslim community at Sonsodo remains unfulfilled till date.
The family has not heard anything from the new government since it took over the reigns of office a year ago. Says Marcelino Fernandes: “The family had pleaded with then Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat to spare our ancestral land from acquisition for the proposed Kabrastan. But, Kamat assured to compensate the family with alternate land. He even offered to give us alternate land admeasuring 4000 sq mts at Davorlim, though we insisted on 8000 sq mts to meet the housing needs of 25 legal heirs. Till date, we have not received even an inch of the promised alternate land”.
He recalled that Kamat verbally requested the family to make a representation stating that we are not willing to accept any compensation from the government and that we would accept alternate land.
A perusal of the file revealed that the beleaguered family made umpteen representations to the Chief Minister as the district administration showed undue haste in completing the land acquisition process even despite strong protests from the Muslim community over the nature of hilly land.
Land acquisition official admit in private that the family has landed in a quandary. “May be because of the assurances from the previous government, the family did not accept the compensation in lieu of the lost land. Now, they cannot even go for the enhancement of the award,” remarked a land acquisition official.
With few options left their disposal, the family members are planning to knock on the doors of the Parrikar government with a request to compensate the family with alternate land.
When contacted, ex-Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat admitted that he had promised to pursue the case of the Aninha family for alternate land. In fact, Kamat recalled that he had put up a note to the Chief Secretary to sympathetically look into the requests of the family for alternate land. “The family should pursue the matter with the new dispensation. There is a provision in law to compensate land owners with alternate land if they don’t accept compensation. I strongly feel the family should pursue the matter with the new government”, Kamat added.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who had taken up cudgels for the heirs of the Aninha family before he became the MLA, said the family should get justice from the government. “The family has sacrificed their huge chunk of land for the community needs of the Muslim community. They ought to be compensated with alternate land. I will personally take up their case with the Chief Minister and also raise the issue in the Assembly”, he said.
