MARGAO: The South Goa Comunidade Forum (SGCF) has reacted sharply and criticised the proposed slum rehabilitation plan announced in the Budget Speech by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and how this could affect the Moti-Dongor Comunidade land too.
“The proposed rehabilitation plan makes a mockery of law-abiding citizens and puts a premium on squatting on Comunidade land in the belief that they would be rehabilitated one day. The proposed rehabilitation plan sets a dangerous precedent and is strongly condemned by the South Goa Comunidades Forum,” said Sávio Correia, SGCF Secretary and President of the Margao Comunidade.
“It is unfortunate that Comunidade lands have been abused as a sort of cash-cow by successive governments to further their own vested interests and vote-banks. The proposal to ‘rehabilitate’ slums at Moti-Dongor and elsewhere is the latest in the series,” Correia added.
SGCF pointed out that the illegal constructions at Monte Hill (Moti-Dongor) stand on land of the Comunidade of Aquem, while those in adjoining Tolsanzor on land of the Comunidade of Margao.
“Both Comunidades have been fighting to regain possession of their lands for the last about 30 years, but their efforts were stonewalled by unresponsive Administrators of Comunidades and bureaucracy in general. It was only in the last decade that some favourable orders have come from the High Court, and one such petition filed by the Comunidades is scheduled to come up for final disposal at any moment,” said Correia.
SGCF believes that the announcements regarding rehabilitation are being made to sabotage any inconvenient orders of the High Court that could uproot the vote-banks cultivated by some local politicians.
SGCF further reiterated that there is no legally valid notification notifying ‘Moti-Dongor’ or any other area in Goa as a ‘slum area’.
“Original Goans are facing a serious issue of housing as most available real estate is out of their reach forcing some to even migrate overseas. There is no land available to accommodate their expanding families. Only Comunidade lands – that are granted to Goans at discounted prices – can bridge this gap. Instead, the Government is pandering to the interests of migrant squatters,” Correia added.
