http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6461&boxid=23729703&uid=&dat=8/19/2012
*Vote bank politics lets migrants usurp Comunidade land* * * *No action taken on 3,000 illegal encroachments: Mormugao attorney* *TEAM HERALD teamherald@ herald- goa. com* PANJIM: There are almost 3,000 illegal encroachments on Comunidade land in Vasco but no action has been taken as the migrant encroachers form the votebank of local politicians, Attorney of Mormugao Comunidade, Menino Henriques has alleged, adding that the government’s enactment of the land to the tiller act has “ devastated the Comunidades”. In protest, he has refused to pay the derama to the administrator, because, to quote him, “ This office did not provide the services required by the Comunidade as per the code but instead plays to the tunes of politicians... it has not taken any action against encroachers.” It is a stand that could well spark a fire of similar protests by other Comunidades seething under years of neglect. Encroachments have been reported from New Vaddem, Shanti Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Mangor Hill, Vasco city and Baina among other locations. It has long been in the public domain that Comunidades are having to dip into their reserves to pay the derama and maintain staff at the administrator's office – derama was originally meant to be paid out of 10 per cent of the net profit from agricultural income, which today is nil. In fact, Henriques said, staff of the administrator's office was being paid from interest accrued on Comunidades' fixed deposits and other revenue sources. > Continued on pg 12 If politicians are really interested in helping these encroachers, they should keep them in their own property. They should not be allowed to encroach on Comunidade land. — Menino Henriques *from page 1 Vote bank politics lets migrants usurp Comunidade land* “ If politicians are really interested in helping these encroachers, they should keep them in their own property. They should not be allowed to encroach on Comunidade land,” he said. Henriques has questioned as to who has given politicians the right to take decisions on property that is not their personal fiefdom, nor that of the government. “ If politicians are interested in the well being of their vote banks/ encroachers they may please keep them on the property that they have amassed through their shady deals and not on community lands of the comunidades,” the attorney reiterated. “ The politicians and the government have made various amendments in the code of comunidades and I would like to know who has given them the right to do so without the approval/ consent of the comunidades,” Henriques questioned. Henriques has warned that till action is taken against illegal encroachments on comunidade land, no more money would be paid to the office of the administrator. “ Mormugao Comunidade has 375 acres of land. Over more than 40 years the local politicians have encouraged encroachment on Comunidade land with promises that they would regularise the same if elected during the polls,” Henriques informed. When any government officials go along for inspection with Comunidade offi- cials, the encroachers, mostly migrants, call the politicians telling government officials that the minister wants to talk to them. The government officials quietly walk away without performing the duties that they had come to perform. Illegal encroachers have built multiple tenements on Comunidade land, have installed air conditioners and are renting out these to other migrants. Five years ago one such migrant was getting a total rent of Rs 40,000 per month from his multiple tenements. -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/