MARGAO: Govt has established a committee to assess and recommend solutions for land acquisition and rehabilitation of slum dwellers at Moti Dongor, Margao.
The committee, to be chaired by the director of municipal administration, brings together key officials from various departments to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. It includes the deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate of Salcete, the inspector of survey and land records of Salcete, the municipal engineer of Margao Municipal Council, and deputy collector of South Goa. The senior project engineer of Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) will serve as the member secretary.
The committee’s main objectives include determining land acquisition requirements, exploring rehabilitation options through either public-private partnerships or govt schemes, and developing a feasible settlement plan. The panel is also tasked with establishing minimum land rates and determining the total area needed for acquisition.
With an initial tenure of two months, the committee will conduct biweekly meetings to monitor progress. The chairperson will submit their findings to the revenue department, which will then communicate the recommendations to govt and the advocate general, states the order signed by undersecretary (revenue-I) Vrushika Kauthankar.
The Moti Dongor slums have been embroiled in legal disputes for over a decade. The issue dates back to 2013 when the administrator of comunidades ordered the demolition of 116 illegal structures at Moti Dongor and Tolsanzor. Despite legal challenges from residents, including a petition in the high court by 42 encroachers under the Economically Weaker Sections Association, the authorities maintained their stance against unauthorised construction. The high court of Bombay at Goa noted in 2014 that petitioners failed to provide documentary evidence of construction before 1995.
The comunidade of Margao previously rejected applications for the regularisation of structures under the code of comunidades, a decision supported by the South Goa district collector’s order in Aug 2013. However, the demolition orders remained unexecuted, and the matter has been pending without significant developments since 2014.
