MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is reconsidering Aquem as a potential site for the Kabrastan. The municipality has decided to re-survey the land in Aquem and has directed the survey officer to take action accordingly.
The MMC’s decision has come on the heels of Herald’s reports about the plight of the lands allotted for a Kabrastan for the Muslim community.
The Kabrastan issue was discussed at a meeting called by MMC Chief Officer Yeshwant Tawde in his chamber on Monday. Tawde has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) for a report on the status of the land allotted for the Kabrastan at Sonsodo.
He revealed that the PWD had kept him in the dark on the issue and stated that the contractor had been given the work order.
The MMC has allotted land at Sonsodo for a Kabrastan. However, a group has been constantly opposing the same, while the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) had rejected plans for developing the land on the grounds that the land had a steep gradient. The Ponda-based contractor who was awarded the Kabrastan work had also rejected the contract as the budget had increased.
With the land at Sonsodo mired in controversies, Aquem may seem like a better option.
The land in Aquem has already been cleared in the Goa Legislative Assembly and the process for its development has begun. However, it is now known that the land has been encroached on.
