PANJIM, APRIL 9
The State government has constituted district level committees to go into the issue of unauthorized religious structures in public places and has asked for a report by May 15, 2010.
Headed by the district collector of North and South Goa respectively, the committee will consist of Superintendent of Police (Traffic) or his representative, executive engineer (PWD roads) of the jurisdiction concerned and sub-divisonal magistrate of the respective division as members.
As reported earlier, the Goa administration has listed around 800 unauthorised religious structures in government and communidade land.
The committee would visit each of the unauthorized religious structures that has been identified during the recent survey, check its location and ownership based on cadastral record and local enquiry and assess its nuisance value from public movement angle (including the future perspective also).
It will also interact with the local organizers/owners of the structures, and record its
recommendations regarding the mode of disposal of the structures.
As there are many complaints of old heritage religious places figuring as unauthorised structure, the cases of mistaken inclusion would be deleted from the list after verification.
Regarding those in communidade property, the notification says, that the committee would recommend whether to regularize in-situ, relocate or remove the structures.
For all cases of removal of structures, at least 10 days time should be given to the local organizers to arrange for its removal.
The report of the committee containing its recommendations shall be prepared in the enclosed format. The work should be completed and submitted to the Revenue Department Secretariat, Porvorim by 15-05-2010, according to the notification issued by Pandharinath N. Naik, Under Secretary (Revenue).
The issue was also discussed in the cabinet meeting last month which was boycotted by G7 ministers. Sources said Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira had raised the issue and his demand for a re-survey was agreed to by the chief minister.
