GOVT ILLEGALY TRYING TO TAKE OVER COMMUNIDADES: WILLY

PANJIM: Backed by former chief minister Wilfred de Souza, the Saligao comunidade on Wednesday accused the government of trying to illegally take over only the Saligao and Nerul comunidades although elections were not held in 11comunidades of Bardez taluka.

The attorney of Saligao comunidade, Austin da Gama, accompanied by president George Carvalho, told a press conference that Saligao and Nerul comunidades are being singled out for illegal takeover probably at the behest of the land mafia. Gama, however, went on record to say that the move to take over Saligao comunidade was instigated by non-gaunkars who were denied plots by the comunidade.

Both admitted that the term of the present managing committee is over but stressed the fact that the Saligao gaunkars have passed a resolution urging the existing managing committee to continue.

They said there was no new managing committee because elections were not held in 11 comunidades of Bardez taluka. They said they were open to elections to appoint a new committee.

Wilfred de Souza also accused the government of acting unfairly by singling out only two comunidades of Saligao constituency for takeover. De Souza urged the government to treat all comunidades equally, to follow the code of comunidades and to hold elections to get new managing committees to the comunidades.

These protests follow a recent order of the state revenue department directing the present managing committee of the Saligao comunidade to hand over charge to another managing committee appointed by the revenue department. De Souza and the comunidade managing committee members have said this does not comply with the code of comunidades and is therefore, "illegal."

De Souza said his attempts to phone the revenue minister Jose Philip D'Souza were unsuccessful as the minister was not answering his phone. De Souza however quoted the minister as earlier justifying the move to take over the Saligao comunidade by saying that the Saligao BJP MLA was raising the issue in the legislative assembly. "Just because questions are being asked in the assembly and you cannot answer them, does not mean you can displace the existing committee illegally. You must follow the process of law," De Souza said. (TNN)