PANJIM: The government appointed fact-finding committee on the Tiracol Golf Course project, has directed concerned authorities to furnish data pertaining to cultivation of land, the forest survey and the status of various tenancy right cases – settled or pending settlement – within the next week.
Directions have been issued to the Pernem mamlatdar, Pernem range forest officer and zonal agriculture officer and the Town and Country Planning department (TCP).
The fact-finding committee headed by the SAG director Sandip Jacques, along with concerned officials, inspected the site on Wednesday. The inspection team, which was supposed to be accompanied by representatives of those promoting and opposing the project, was boycotted by tenants who refused to participate in the site inspection.
Sources said that even as the petitioners in the High Court (tenants) have kept away from being associated with the committee, it has decided to go ahead and prepare a detailed study of all aspects. “Hence, the necessary data has been sought from various department,” he said.
The Committee wants to study the crop productivity of the area and also the various crops produced on the land over the years and process information concerning tenancy right cases filed, settled and pending before the mamlatdar. The survey undertaken to map the forest areas would be also studied.
When contacted, Jacques did not elaborate but said the report would be submitted within three months to the government.
Jacques said the tenants refused to join the team and Francis Rodrigues (president of St Anthony’s Tenant Mundkar Association), presented a written memorandum opposing the inspection. “They have refrained themselves from assisting us in the inspection. Even Goa Foundation refused to be part of it,” he said.
Leading Hotels Private Limited has planned to set up a golf course at Tiracol which is being opposed by locals who say that the land is agricultural property which was converted without following proper procedure. Goa Foundation, along with locals, had approached the High Court challenging the conversion of the land for the project.
The Jacques committee is inquiring on whether the land was agricultural or tenanted, whether the allegations regarding tenancy made in the petition before the court are true and whether any person was a tenant of such land or not.
