MARGAO: The representatives of Salcete comunidades have strongly condemned Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho for assuring to regularise illegal houses on their lands.
They said that following Mauvin’s assurance, those who have built “kutcha” houses have started converting into “pucca” houses.
Chinchinim Comunidade Attorney Olencio Almeida said, “Mauvin’s statement is politically motivated to please the encroachers on comunidade lands.”
He argued that Code of Comunidade has no provision for regularising illegal houses on comunidade lands. “Such a move by the government will prejudice the assets of comunidade, which at present, are left with no much income,” he said.
Aquem Comunidade Attorney Celestino Noronha said, “The government cannot do what Mauvin instructs. This is his regular action ahead of elections — promising to regularise the illegal structures only to get votes. The Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections are round the corner.”
“The Code of Comunidade does not provide for any survey and the so called survey undertaken at Chicalim by the government is illegal and I fail to understand how the government can do illegal things,” Celestino said.
He claimed that as per the Code of Comunidade, the moment the committee finds anything illegal on comunidade land, it has to be reported to the Administrator of Comunidades for taking action including demolition.
Aquem communidade that includes Monte Dongor in Margao, which of notorious for illegal structures, has already asked the Administrator to demolish the illegal houses.
“However, the matter is now pending before the courts and hence I cannot say anything about it,” he said.
Celestino said that encroachers on comunidade land who were living in temporary huts or kutcha houses have now started strengthening their huts and converting them into pucca houses since Mauvin made the statement.
“This will increase the work load for comunidade members who will have to now monitor closely any changes made to illegal structures,” he said asserting that regularising illegal house on comunidade land is illegal and cannot be done.
