The straight road from the bend at the Nuvem Church ends at the Majorda railway crossing. On the other side of the track is the HDFC bank on the right, the Majorda convent and homes, shops and fields on either side.
On the edge of these tracks, there’s a story unfolding. Of three families who haven’t quite woken up to the fact that their lands have been procured though all the families were aware of some process in this regard going on for a year. But none of them was interestingly aware of the decision taken by the Pramod Sawant cabinet to approve the procurement of their lands when there are as many unanswered questions and loose ends to be tied up.
In the mix too is the Comunidade of Majorda, which owns the largest parcel of the four survey numbers which will be ‘procured’ by the government for the Railways. Believe it or not, the Comunidade isn’t aware of the decision to take away their land. And the President of the Comunidade is clear that the government does not, at this stage, have the Comunidade’s consent.
We have heard the government, we have seen the cabinet note. Let’s hit the ground and meet the people to hear their stories
Joacquim Santano Fernandes. Survey nos 110/4 and 114/5
For years, Fernandes worked for an American company in Dubai before coming back home to the green-green grass of home, in Majorda. He has had a previous tryst with land acquisition. His lands literally hugging the racks were first taken over for building railway staff quarters adjoining the underpass next to the Majorda railway crossing.( Disclaimer: The Comunidade claims that the land on which the railway quarters has been built belongs to them and the adjoining road is with Joaquim Fernandes. Herald isn’t getting into the details of this)
He is well known in these parts as the owner of the popular Master Chef bakery, which supplies cake and savouries in the village. But his mornings are spent cultivating his fields. He arrived to meet this reporter straight from his fields before he would get down baking.
Coming to the present acquisition, this farmer cum baker is the owner of 275 square metres of settlement land (Survey 109/3) next to the crossing and a small path of 65 square metres of open fields ( Survey number 114/15). On this land the Majorda Comunidade is listed as the owner and he the tenant but he strongly claims that “it’s a mistake’ and he is the owner of this land too. While this will get sorted out, his plight is beyond this anomaly of sorts
“Nine months ago the Revenue officials came to me for these two lands and I agreed because I wanted a proper compensation. In the document which I signed, I was offered Rs 12,500 per sq mt. the form also has my bank account number and I was told that the money would be transferred. Three months later I went to the railway’s office at the KTC bus stand to follow up but nothing really happened. I’m upset and angry and hope I don’t have to suffer yet again.
He says he was unaware and surprised at the decision tom procure without an clarity on the documentation that was needed further and most importantly whether the rate promised to him would be paid.
Survey: 110/4 Majorda Comunidade & Late Innacio Mariano Vaz/ Rep by son Wilfred Vaz
Wilfred Vaz is a genial man who ran a bakery in Usgao. When the letter of intent to acquire came to him, he didn’t quite pay too much heed. There was a slight twist in this tale. A relative Aires Costa, the godfather of his brother, stated that he had the documents to establish his tenant status on on this land. Wilfred had no objection and agreed to allow a name change on Form I and IV, and was fine with costs doing the process in his favour. However, the name on the form is still that of Late Innacio Mariano Vaz and son Wilfred has at no stage given any consent or even spoken about compensation. “Aires is handling all this but I have not agreed for this acquisition or discussed anything about compensation,” he said. The original owner the Comunidade of Majorda has given no consent either as detailed later in this story
Survey 110/8: Late Joao Vaz, direct owner. Rep by his son Francisco Vaz
The Vaz’s live very close to the tracks and have a small plot of 50 square meters where they park their vehicles. Hear his story: “In 2019, the Collector called us and asked us for our land. Since we were not doing much with it, I agreed to give consent. The rate fixed was Rs 2000 per square metre. In January 2020 the Collector (another person) called me and said that a deed of succession would be signed which never happened.”
But he has something very important to point out. “The earlier consent cannot hold any good because I hadn’t asked any of my six siblings (there are seven children including Francisco, of the Late Joao Vaz). They include sister Hilda, Virginia and Caroline who is UK settled, and brothers Julio, Jose and Anthony who live in Mapusa. I haven’t even discussed this issue with them including signing any deed of succession”
