PANJIM: The State government is unlikely to introduce a bill to regularise unauthorised structures in Comunidade lands during the ensuing Monsoon Session of Goa Assembly.
Revenue Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate on Thursday, said, “No bill is coming in this Assembly session. Last time we had made an amendment giving Comunidades the rights to decide on regularisation of unauthorised structures. Many of the Comunidades seem to be in favour of that.”
In March this year, Monserrate had said that the government will bring in amendments to the Code of Comunidades and frame rules to give more powers to Comunidades to regularise lands encroached prior to 2014.
Stating that sometimes Comunidades also are hand-in-gloves, the Minister asked, “Can any structure come up in Comunidade land without their knowledge? Some Comunidades are happy and some are not. Last time some demolitions had taken place on Comunidade land following High Court order.”
Monserrate said that Comunidade land does not belong to government and until and unless their consent is there, the government cannot do anything. The government interferes only when illegality is done. After 20-30 years the Comunidade had not bothered to do anything and now all of a sudden they are trying to evict them. These occupants had now obtained all the licences. Some people were born there and they had their children. There is some fault of the Comunidade also for allowing such things. Comunidades were now given powers to decide but through consent.
Savio Correia, president of Comunidade of Margao, said, “Last year the government had passed an amendment to Code of Comunidades to suspend the managing committees if it was found to be doing some irregularities. Pending the inquiry the managing committee could be suspended. Earlier, power to suspend was not there and it was enacted in June 2023.
He said that as per the amendments, landless shareholders were allowed to apply for land. For any government project the Comunidades could grant land. They could entrust any private agency to develop their land. All the properties and buildings of the administrative offices were brought under Public Premises Act. These amendments were done in 2023.
In March this year, the government ensured that for filing or withdrawal of any suit, the government approval was mandatory. Earlier, the approval of Administrative Tribunal was required. He recalled an amendment to regularise structures was made in 2001. Window period was given initially for 90 days and it was extended by another period of 90 days. Cut-off date was June 15, 2000. However, they found quite a few structures following a survey.
Tulio D’Souza, president of Comunidade of Guirim, said, “The Comunidades are against any attempt to regularise illegal constructions because Comunidade lands are only agricultural lands and any government should stand by its promise of revitalising agriculture. The government should come out with a clear proposal of how they are going to help Comunidade to revitalise agriculture. Comunidades can be used as a special purpose vehicle to implement agricultural policy.”
Joao Philip Pereira of Comunidade of Nagoa, said, “In 2006, the government had taken a decision to ask those who built illegal construction in Comunidade lands to register. That time cut-off date was given as 2014. Some Ministers are insisting on regularisation of illegal structures because it is their vote bank. There are more than 800 huts in Zuarinagar. We had approached the Governor to object the amendments but before that the Governor assented bills.
The government had already decided not to regularise illegal houses without Enabling House Number (EHN) in village panchayat areas since EHN numbers were temporary house numbers issued to illegal houses for the purpose of collecting various taxes for revenue generation.
