Govt reluctant to rehab Khariwaddo slums?

Govt reluctant to rehab Khariwaddo slums?
HERALD REPORTER
VASCO, FEB 7
The State government appears to have overlooked the rehabilitation of fishermen when the opportunity knocked at the door not once, but thrice.
In the case of Khariwaddo slums rehabilitation, reluctant attitude of the State government has forced the MPT to approach the High Court to ensure that slums which are major hurdle for port’s expansion gets cleared as early as possible.
MPT had worked out a rehabilitation plan without burdening the State exchequer and a consultant was appointed to work out the rehabilitation under the Integrated Housing Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) Scheme of Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.
But due to delay tactics, things remained stranded.
Khariwado slums have grown substantially in the last couple of decades, as some structures are located on the shoreline and during high tide, the waves struck slums.
The lethargic attitude of the State government was evident during the March 17, 2010, meeting, which was organized by Union Secretary of Shipping P Mohandas. Minutes of the meeting states how government remained silent on rehabilitation of slum dwellers.
Despite this, the MPT paid the entire cost of land acquisition of 23,553 sq mts at Adarshnagar-Chicalim and agreed to relocate Khariwado slums under Integrated Housing Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), scheme of Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.
MPT had agreed to rehabilitate 194 structures as mentioned in the tripartite Memorandum of Understating (MoU), which was inked in 1998. Later, MPT had also agreed that besides 194 structures, remaining structures of the total 379, as per MPT’s list, should also be provided land at Adarshnagar.
As per the IHSDP scheme, the Union government will bear 60 per cent cost, 20 per cent by Goa Government, 10 per cent by the local body and 10 per cent by beneficiaries, although MPT agreed to bear government and beneficiaries share, but despite of that there is no response from the government, states the minutes of the meeting.
“MPT had agreed that it would provide lands to all the inhabitants of Khariwaddo at Adarshnagar in its meeting on March 17, 2010. Thus, why the hurry for demolishing before the rehabilitation,” asked MMC Councillor Pascoal D’ Souza, who is also member of Goa State Rehabilitation Board.
“We are ready to go, land at Adarshnagar should be handed over to the people,” added D’Souza.
Goa Fishing Boat Owner Association (GFBOA) insisted: “We have never rejected the rehabilitation offer as we still insist that demolition should proceed only after rehabilitation.”
However, MPT is insisting that despite paying all dues to the State government for land acquisition at Adarshnagar, the government was reluctant to hand over the land for rehabilitation and has been delaying the matter.