CONFRARIA DO SANTISSIMO SACRAMENTO E NOSSA SENHORA DO ROSARIO DA IGREJA DE TALEIGAO
St. Michaels Church, Taleigao, Tiswadi. PRESS RELEASE. By a Notification No: 22/24/2005-RD dated January 10th., 2006, the Government announced its decision to acquire a considerable amount of property which belongs to the above Confraria do Santissimo Sacramento e Nossa Senhora do Rosario da Igreja de Taleigaon. According to this Notification the properties are being acquired for the purpose of development and construction of a playground at Taleigao. The above Confraria which is the rightful legal owner of the properties has already registered its objection to the said acquisition on the grounds that there is no need for any additional playground in Taleigao because there exist two very large playgrounds barely 500 meters from the properties proposed to be acquired. The Dr. Remigio Pinto Football Ground is an extensive playground which is almost of international specifications. Approximately 500 meters from the proposed acquisition there is also another large playground which is hardly being used at present. Moreover, there is another "Childrens Park" in Campal, and a football field in Caranzalem, which is also not in use and neglected by the Sports Authority of Goa as well as the Government of Goa. With so many playgrounds in Taleigao, which are not being used to their maximum capacity, we wonder why the Government is so keen to acquire yet more land for the purpose of development and construction of a playground. It appears highly suspicious that the acquisition of the properties belonging to the Confraria of Taleigao for the ostensible and published reason for development and construction of a playground is not the real reason for the acquisition. It seems that the Government has launched on a massive land acquisition programme for reasons known to itself. We the members of the Confraria are disturbed that we were not consulted before the notice of acquisition was published. We deeply regret that the Government of Goa is acting in a highly high-handed and arbitrary manner. We demand that the process of acquisition of these lands, which belong to the Church, be dropped immediately. Taleigao, February 11th., 2006. Rafael Fernandes President.
