Kabrastan: govt in tight spot over land acquisition

MARGAO, JUNE 13
The government finds itself in a tight corner over the sensitive question of acquiring land for a Kabrastan for Margao’s Muslim community.
While the government has been served a six-month deadline by the National Commission for the minorities to acquire land for the burial grounds, the powers that be are painfully aware of the stiff opposition to land acquisition for a Kabrastan, not only in the Commercial capital, but across Salcete.
When Herald asked Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat how his government would sort out the sensitive issue in the light of the recommendations from the minority panel, he said his government would find a way out to the imbroglio. “There’s no doubt the Muslim community is facing a genuine problem of a burial ground. But, at the same time, the government had made umpteen efforts to acquire land for the proposed Kabrastan in recent times. We would continue to pursue the issue so that burial ground becomes a reality for the minority community”, the Chief Minister said.
But, the ground reality remains unchanged, with every proposal to acquire land for a kabrastan had to be abandoned due to objections. In fact, the Goa government in its submission to the National Commission for the Minorities have stated that there atleast four attempts since 1999 to acquire land by invoking Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, but all these efforts had to be abandoned due to objections and other “compelling reasons and circumstances”.
Incidentally, the government told the minority panel that it is the duty of the Municipalities to provide burial and cremation grounds to all citizens within its jurisdiction in coordination with the District Collector and also manage it under Section 246 of the Goa Municipalities Act.  In this connection, the government submitted to the panel that it is ready to support the initiatives of the Municipalities either through provision of funds or policy frame work.
But, the moot question is whether the government can acquire the land and allot the same to the Muslim community within six months as directed by the Commission. While the Chief Minister says no effort would be spared to acquire the land for the burial grounds, the Minority panel has threatened to hold another hearing in July if the progress of the case is found unsatisfactory or if the State government is found to resort to delaying tactics.
That’s not all. Chief Secretary Sanjeev Srivastava will have to once again appear in person before the Commission to explain if the monthly progress report is not submitted to the panel on time and also to apprise the commission of the progress and development of the case.