MARGAO: Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai’s assurance that the government would not allow a masjid to be constructed at Sonsodo and cancellation of the Memorandum of Understanding executed by and between the Margao Municipal Council and Jamia Masjid failed to impress the people who had gathered at Sonsodo on Sunday to demand cancellation of the proposed kabrastan there.
Addressing the gathering, Vijai pointed out that the land acquisition was completed in 2011 while he was elected as a MLA only in 2012. “What were you people doing then when the land was being acquired and who was your representative and why were they quiet?” he asked.
“Somebody has created the mess and you are expecting this government to clean it,” he said asking the people to question their earlier representatives for failing to take up the issue when it ought to have been taken up.
However, a local Felix Dias said, “Vijai has remained silent on the issue of the kabrastan, which has been our main issue.”
“If the kabrastan is allowed the masjid will follow automatically,” Dias added.
Former panch of Raia Xavier Fernandes also expressed similar views and asserted that no development of any nature can be undertaken at the site identified for the kabrastan as it has a gradient of 65 to 70 degrees and the Town and Country Planning rules permit hill cutting only if the gradient is 25 degrees and not above that.
Vijai in his address asserted that he was not in a position to assure the gathering on all the issues raised by them. He said all other issues raised by the people could be discussed later. However, he did agree that the question of the gradient can be looked into as it concerns the department headed by him.
“Subsequent to the meeting held with the chief minister on 8th September, I have come here basically to hear what you have to say,” he said.
“Is the MMC acting as an agent to acquire land and hand it over to somebody,” he asked while admitting that private land along with that belonging to the comunidade was acquired in the process.
Felix had revealed that Manohar Parrikar had referred to what he had done in Baina when the red light area was closed down lock, stock and barrel and implied that similar fate was awaiting those opposed to the kabrastan.
Vijai clarified that there was no threat from the Chief Minister but a reiteration that but merely an attempt to show that once a decision is taken the government machinery will be used to the optimum to implement it.
Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco who was also present for the meeting advised the crowd not to communalise the issue and admitted that there was opposition to setting up a kabrastan at Manora and Sao Jose de Areal.
“The government must address this issue and let us wait till the government takes a decision,” he said adding that that the gradient was a valid point which even he would raise in the assembly as and when it is held.
“We are here to help our Goans first and then the migrants though now migrants are also Goans because of the 15 year domicile rule,” he said.
