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Book Release: Goanetter Valmiki Faleiro's "Patriotism in Action" Dec 18, 2010 (Sat) at 5.30 pm at Goa Chitra, Benaulim, Goa Copies available at: Hotel Mandovi or Broadway (Panjim), OIB (Mapusa), Sainik Co-Op (Porvorim), Literati (Calangute), David & Co, Confidante (Margao) David & Co Mumbai, Mumbai Catholic Gymkhana; Manney's and Popular (Pune), Narayan (Bangalore), Ritana Books (Delhi). Online: http://goa1556.notlong.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goa Church explains controversial land deal Published Date: December 16, 2010 By Bosco de Sousa Eremita, Panaji ancient wayside cross at Vaxim island Church officials in Goa, under fire over the sale of a piece of land, say they disposed of it because it was unproductive and contained an ancient building that was expensive to maintain. It is the Church’s first comment on the deal since August when it was accused of collaborating with state officials to sell a large portion of an island to a luxury hotel chain without consulting its inhabitants. Some 50 families living on Vaxim Island near Old Goa accused the Church of displacing people. There were public protests and demands that the deal be scrapped. A statement that recently appeared on the archdiocese’s website said that some 1.8 million square meters of non-tenanted land was sold in 2006 for 3.72 million rupees (US$83,000). The archdiocese also transferred the ownership of a portion of tenanted land but the tenant’s right to use the land was not transferred, it said. The statement said tenants made “spurious claims” that the Church has not only sold their tenancy rights but even the land surrounding their houses. The Portuguese colonial rulers established a parish church on the island, helping families living there as tenants. Although tenants, many now live off the island. Some tenants had not cultivated the land for more than 15 years, the statement said.. Legally, a tenancy ends if a tenant does not cultivate that land for a long period. The Church statement hinted that some residents, who were living on the island on lease agreement, were manipulating the system and planned to sell the church land for their own benefit. It also said the Santa Monica convent building on the island was maintained with the income from the island, but the reduced income could not support the high cost of maintenance. “At first, the archdiocesan authorities did not intend to sell, but later, as good offers continued to come in, and taking into account that tenants were not cultivating the land” it considered the land deal in the archdiocesan consultative bodies. Since the deals executed are “legally valid, the archdiocese is unable to arrest the course of events where the law of land is observed,” it concluded. http://www.ucanews.com/2010/12/16/goa-church-explains-controversial-land-deal/