MARGAO: Raising a matter of great concern for the protection of comunidade lands, senior comunidade activist and Attorney of Nagoa Comunidade John Phillip Pereira has written to the Chief Secretary and South Goa District Collector regarding misleading information on ‘defunct’ Comunidades in South Goa.
The issue concerns the abrupt and arbitrary classification of alleged ‘defunct Comunidades’ in the South district, and apprehensions about government and politician’s designs to take over vacant lands of these age-old bodies.
Other senior comunidade leaders from South Goa have agreed with Pereira’s views. He is also the ex-Attorney of comunidade of Cortalim and a part of six other comunidades.
“I am deeply troubled by recent revelations regarding false, misleading, and contradictory information provided by the Administrator of Comunidades, South Zone, to Goa Legislative Assembly about the status of ‘defunct’ comunidades in South Goa,” Pereira said in his letter.
He explained that the Code of Comunidades, 1961, outlines criteria for classifying a comunidade as ‘defunct’, and steps for revival.
“According to information provided by the Goa government in response to a Legislative Assembly Question (LAQ) reply in January 2021, no comunidade within the South Zone meets the criteria for being ‘defunct’,” he pointed out.
“However, it has come to light that the same Administration office has given false information to the government and Legislative Assembly, claiming there are 14 defunct comunidades within the South Zone. This contradictory stance raises concerns about potential ulterior motives, particularly given the circumstances. I am gravely concerned that certain local politicians, in collaboration with the Administrator, might plan to seize vacant lands of these ‘defunct’ comunidades,” Pereira warned.
He emphasised that his concerns are substantiated by a recent circular from the Administrator, instructing the escrivaes (clerks) of alleged ‘defunct’ comunidades to provide vacant land details by August 14, 2023. Pereira stressed that a clerk is an employee and lacks the authority to provide information about comunidade assets. Such information should come from the Managing Committee, the legally responsible body.
“The decline of comunidades in Goa can be attributed to the Agricultural Tenancy Act and other factors. Two additional factors exacerbating the situation are the flawed election scheduling and high share transfer fees,” Pereira stated.
He noted that election scheduling overlaps and leads to non-convening due to lack of quorum. “It is necessary to appropriately schedule the elections
(due in December 2024/January 2025) to avoid inconvenience,” Pereira recommended.
“Moreover, the steep increase in share transfer fee to Rs 250 per share has discouraged many members from transferring shares of their ancestors into their names,” he added. Pereira cited examples where the transfer fee exceeds the share’s market value, hindering new members from participating.
“Transfer fees for inherited shares or between family members should be eliminated and reduced to NIL. This would help revive the comunidades,” Pereira suggested.
Given these concerns, Pereira appealed to the Chief Secretary to prevent attempts to exploit the situation and unlawfully seize vacant lands of ‘defunct’ comunidades.
“It is imperative to protect and preserve the integrity and rights of these comunidades for posterity, following legal provisions and norms,” Pereira concluded.
