http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=041520
Aldona Bachao Abhiyan seeks GBAs support for preventing illegal land sale NT Staff Reporter Panaji, April 14 The Aldona Bachao Abhiyan (ABA) core group met at Carona on April 13 called on the authorities to prevent the breach of law while granting construction licenses as there have been reports that tenanted Communidade land is being sold by the tenants in connivance with the members of the Communidades in different villages. As per the Agricultural Tenancy Act, no tenanted agricultural field can be converted for non-agricultural purpose such as housing. The press note issued here by ABA spokesperson, Ms Maria Aurora Couto, said that the ABA has decided that each village would deal with the issues locally and information would be shared between such groups. The ABA also wants the Goa Bachao Abhiyan to support and guide the groups in dealing with this 'development' epidemic. Also a petition to the Chief Town Planner requesting him not to issue any licence under Section 17-A of the TCP Act is presently being signed by large number of residents in the village of Aldona. The press note states that The ABA is engaged in alert vigilance and an action oriented mission to protect the environment and the quality of life in Goa. Rules and regulations for conversion and sale of land relating to agriculture, orchards, forests as well as CRZ, town planning and regional planning have been violated and are being violated. The objective of the ABA is to ensure that demand for real estate and blatant violations of all norms, rules and regulations to satisfy the greed of land grabbers and speculators should not destroy environmental and ecological dimensions and it is the quality of life and society that prevails. It adds that two applications under the Right to Information Act have already been made to the Aldona panchayat by the secretary of the ABA, Ms Charmaine De Souza while the application at the TCP has been made by Mr Milton Fernandes. The press note ends by saying that the ABA expects that the District Plans for North and South Goa so prepared to be reflected in the regional plan as a fresh notification has been issued on March 13 regarding the role of the ward development committees, village panchayats and gram sabhas, as well as the zilla panchayats in the planning process. -- Banakar fakeeron ka hum bhes 'Ghalib' Tamasha-e-ahl-e-karam dekhte hain. -- Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib