Govt takes steps to acquire Sonsodo land
MARGAO, AUG 21
It’s official. The Government has gone ahead with the acquisition of land at Sonsodo for the proposed kabrastan for Margao’s Muslim community.
If Chief Secretary, Sanjay Srivastava is to be believed, the Government has notified Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act for the acquisition of land at Sonsodo for the burial ground.
That’s not all. The Chief Secretary informed that the Government would invoke the urgency clause to ensure that the entire land acquisition process is wrapped up at the earliest.
Speaking to Herald on the sidelines of the Founder’s Day celebration of Vidya Vikas Mandal in the city here on Saturday, Srivastava said the Government is committed to acquire the land at Sonsodo to set up the burial ground for the minority community.
But, when his attention was drawn to stiff protests and opposition from the Muslim community to the Sonsodo site, the Chief Secretary said that the site is not bad as it is made out by some people. “There is an existing cemetery near the land which is proposed to be acquired for the kabrastan. Besides, a school is located some meters away from the proposed burial ground”, he added.
Replying to a question, he said a delegation of the National Commission for Minorities will visit the State to inspect the Sonsodo site following opposition from some people.
Herald inquiries with the Land Acquisition office, Margao revealed that the Government has notified Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act to acquire the land at Sonsodo.
“Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act has been notified by the Government to acquire the land at Sonsodo. The notification has been sent for publication in the official gazette”, informed Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition, Agnelo Fernandes.
The Sonsodo site was cleared for the proposed kabrastan after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat gave the green signal, following which the site was approved by the Margao Municipal Council.
