COMUNIDADE
A Toothless Giant

THE Comunidade is the oldest institution in Goa and every village possesses one and sometimes two. But it appears the time-tested institution, which was governed by a rigid and very logical code, is aging too fast, given the debilitating envronment it encounters today.

The Managing Committees, elected by the gaunkars to run the affairs of the Comunidade, have failed to carry out their duties efficiently. On the contrary, they have succumbed either to greed or political pressures once too often. In connivance with corrupt elements some of them have allowed the Comunidade land to fall illegally into the hands of encroachers.

The government has always proved populist and never really bothered to set things rights. Leave alone the fact that one would not expect the government to help sustain the Comunidade, the BJP government in Goa has gone ahead and brought above a legislation which virtually gives legality to structures erected illegally on Comunidade land.

On June 20, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed an amendent to the Comunidade Code, giving protection to illegal encroachers for one year. The Opposition staged a token walk-out in protest against the manner and hurry in which the amendment was introduced and passed during the one-day Session.

Following the amendment, between 6000 to 8000 houses, found to be built illegally on Comunidade land, will get immunity from demolition.

The Association of the Components of Comunidades have not taken kindly to this amendment by the BJP government. The Association has also sent a memorandum to Governor Mohd Fazal, strongly objecting the amendment passed by the Goa assembly. But their objection will hardly be able to withstand political force at work.

In the meanwhile, the Porvorim police have arrested six persons involved in a deal whereby a tenant sold 1.88 lakh sq mt of land belonging to the Anjuna Comunidade to a non-resident Indian, based in England.

In another case, the Administrator of Comunidades has directed the Telecommunications department to stop the construction of a building for a telephone exchange in North Goa. The exchange was being erected in the land belonging to the Moira Comunidade without going through the prescribed land acquisition procedure.

Comunidade land is being acquired consistently by people under various pretexts; often illegal ways are being employed by people who have set their eyes on a particular plot of land. Recently, a plot of land admeasuring 4,26,000 square meters was illegally grabbed allegedly by Prasanna Acharyaat Madditolop in Canacona by altering the survey records. The Loliem Comunidade has, however, recovered the land. Other Comunidades, however, have not been sufficiently vigilant against such ongoing land grabbing process.