---------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Senior citizen gets raw deal ------------------------------ Senior citizen Francis DSouza from Saligao is a disgruntled man. DSouza has been fighting to regain his property (under Survey No. 136/1) from the Saligao Village Panchayat, which he alleges has been grabbed from the Saligao Communidade by the village panchayat.
He further adds that the communidade has denied that the property, an access path (2.42 meter wide and about 100-metres long), belongs to them as they have no record of the same. So how can the property belong to the village panchayat? he questioned. He repeatedly petitioned the chief secretary last year regarding the matter. But till date there has been no concrete reply, he maintains, adding, The same property is also faced with water-logging problem, which the village panchayat is aware of. DSouza has been doing the rounds of several departments since March 2005. His petition through the office of the Chief Secretary was addressed to the Deputy Collector, the Director of Panchayats, Block Development Officer in Panjim. Till today theres no action, he claims. On October 13, 2005 he had sent a legal notice to the panchayat stating his grouse and finally a reply was given on October 28, 2005 stating that the property in question belonged to the communidade and that it was also aware of the water logging. In the reply, the panchayat had also stated that the Public Works Department was to construct a drain on the northern side of the property. On the Western side, which the panchayat claimed belongs to the communidade, they were to construct another drain to rectify the water logging. But nothing happened. Finally, with rains fast approaching, in March 2006, DSouza built a drain on the western side, which, he claims, existed before a road was illegally constructed over it by the panchayat. The panchayat in a letter complained to the Calangute police on April 3 that DSouza had caused damage to public property and a copy of the letter was sent to the MLA Wilfred de Souza, who asked the police to take immediate action. The police have now filed a case against him under Section 133 of CrPC in the Mamlatdars court, Mapusa, for causing nuisance in government property, which in reality DSouza maintains belongs to him. He charged that he is being harassed because of political pressure. Earlier, the same police station had investigated the matter and said that the panchayat without land acquisition process were wrong in constructing the road on the property, DSouza pointed out. The matter is presently in the two Mamlatdars offices in Mapusa and before the Deputy Collector. It will come up for hearing next month. ---------------------------- HERALD 29/05/06 page 3 ---------------------------- ================================================= GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy ===================================================
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