Chief secy urged to evict Navy from village community land TNN | Apr 3, 2011, 03.25am IST
PANAJI: Alleging that the Indian Navy is illegally occupying Dabolim airport land and other establishments owned by the village communities of Mormugao, Vaddem, Chicalim and Issorcim, the association of components of comunidades has urged the chief secretary to evict the naval/defence authorities from the area.
The association is a state body set up by comunidade leaders with the objective of working towards causes related to the age-old institution. In all, there are 223 comunidades in the state. The association has written to the government in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order, declaring the transfer of village community land for private and commercial use as illegal and directing states to take immediate steps to evict encroachers.
The apex court had directed state governments to prepare schemes to evict illegal occupants of village community land and restore it for the purpose it was meant for.
In a letter to the chief secretary, association secretary Andre Pereira stated that the land covering Dabolim airport, its runway and also land around it, is not the type of property defined under the Article 31A of Constitution of India.
"The land is situated within the boundary limits of autonomous and/or absolute private villages or communities, where state landlordism is absent," Pereira said. Stating that his earlier petitions to various authorities had failed to draw any response, Pereira said the village communities of Goa are the absolute owners of their respective land, which is meant for common benefit. However, Indian Navy sources declined to comment on the issue, stating that they needed more time to study the matter.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Chief-secy-urged-to-evict-Navy-from-village-community-land/articleshow/7853797.cms
