AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
ANJUNA: Gauncars present at the general body meeting demanded, before the start of the meeting, that the Comunidade should stop leasing out land to companies hosting events that cause noise pollution in the village.
“The comunidade makes money by leasing its land and that money is then shared by all gauncars. The protesters, many with whom I am also fighting against noise pollution, should continue their fight if the people granted the land misuse it,” observed Desmond D’Souza, a gauncar who is fighting against noise pollution.
However, the ‘application from Spacebound Web Labs Private limited for refund of Sunburn Festival Goa 2023’ money was not discussed by all the gauncars during the extraordinary general body meeting of Anjuna Comunidade on Sunday.
“Discussion of Sunburn was not part of the agenda and therefore, despite attempts by a few members to bring up the topic, it failed. Our last year’s payment has been kept on hold because of a case in the Supreme Court that is to take place on November 19. We have flashed the ball across,” Michael Mendonca, a prominent Gauncar said.
“They ask for one thing, hold the event and after the event, say give us back some money because we did not use the land. It is like catering for 500 guests and after the wedding asking the caterer for a refund because only 300 guests arrived,” joked Roysal Fernandes.
Roysal, is one of the most vocal proponents. The five-and-half-hour long meeting took umbrage over the manner in which the previous and present managing committees tried to regularise encroachments and resolved to ‘take back into possession, land from John Stephen D’Souza (Hill Top) in Survey No. 206/1’.
“The problem starts when the managing committee is not strong. Land is being usurped by outsiders and a blind eye is being turned. There are encroachments on land regularly and nothing is being done by them,” complained former president Edwin Nunes.