Beleaguered residents of migrant inhabited Moti Dongor have finally broken their silence on moves to clear the hillock of all illegal structures. They have now pinned their hopes on Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and have appealed to Madgavkars, Aquemkars and Goans in general to save their structures from demolition. The residents said the government should intervene and save the structures existing prior to 2002 on Communidade land, reports TEAM HERALD
Five days after the Administrator of Communidades, South, served legal notices on the residents to remove the illegal structures, the residents have decided to knock the doors of the judiciary for justice. They have disclosed plans to file a petition in the High Court before February 22 seeking stay on the Communidade plans to raze down their structures.
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Says Maula Balbatti, who holds sway over a section of the population atop Moti Dongor: “The residents have been putting up atop Moti Dongor since the last 35-40 years. For the first time, the residents have received a demolition notice. We never thought our structures would be taken up for demolition when the government has notified the area under the Slums Act.”
Balbatti admitted that anti-social activities had brought bad name for Moti Dongor, but he appealed to the people of Goa not to treat all the residents in one scale because of four to five people. “We called on the Chief Minister on February 8 and pleaded for our rehabilitation. The residents also called on Digambar Kamat, who has promised to take legal recourse,” he added.
Another resident Dyneshwar Patekar said he along with many others were born and brought up at Moti Dongor. “We have our birth certificates in Goa. Our Children are studying in Goa. Where will we go if our structures are razed down?” he asked and maintained that they will not be accepted in their native states.
Replying to a question, Patekar said that the CM has been sympathetic to their pleas and spoke about rehabilitation of the hutment dwellers.
He said the residents have documents such as water and power bills to prove that they have been staying atop the hillock for years now. He demanded to know why successive governments failed to rehabilitate them when everyone spoke of their rehabilitation under the Slums Act.
