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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: 2 Jul 2008 15:41
Subject: [goancauses] Housing policies push locals out, migrants in
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*Housing policies push locals out, migrants in*
BY HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JULY 1 - If migrants outnumber locals in the Rumdamol Housing
Board, blame it on the housing policies of successive governments and the
Goa Housing Board -turning this housing colony into a hub of outsiders.
Housing schemes promoted by the Goa Housing Board, especially those meant
for the economically weaker sections and low income Groups, were never
appealing to Goans.
The end result: These housing tenements as small as 50 square meters, were
eventually grabbed by outsiders, with full political patronage from the
powers that be, marginalizing locals in their own land.
That's not all. The allottees are learnt to have converted the open space
and setback areas into buildings and leased them out to migrants.
And, that the Goa Housing Board has not learnt a lesson from its past
mistakes was evident by the fact that the board had been trying to push a
scheme for economically weaker sections since the last three years.
Rumadmol Deputy Sarpanch, Ulhas Tuemkar says the housing board has drawn up
an ambitious plan to build 300-odd tenements admeasuring a bare 48 square
meters. This plan came in for strong opposition from the local panchayat
body at least on two to three occasions, but the board has pushed ahead with
the plan for reasons best known to the administrators.
Says Tuemkar: "We have been objecting to the scheme on grounds that no Goan
would stay in a tenement admeasuring 48 square meters. If the scheme was
approved, it would have invited 300-odd migrant families to the Housing
Board."
Indeed, the panchayat has been asking the housing board to revise the
scheme to ensure the benefits go to the locals as well and if the deputy
Sarpanch's claim is true , a few plots admeasuring 250 square metres may
become a reality.
"The panchayat had told the board to make plots admeasuring 200 square
metres so as to make them attractive to Goans", remarked Tuemkar.
Incidentally, reports indicat that many a Goan family have withdrawn from
the housing board, preferring to settle away from the hub of migrants. "Yes,
in many cases, some Goans have shifted their place of residence from the
housing board to other areas", Tuemkar admitted.
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