Team Herald
MARGAO: In the first monthly grievance redressal meeting, the South Goa Comunidades submitted a list of concerns to the authorities, ranging from deteriorating historical records to urgent building repairs.
The gathering, held at the Old Collectorate, marked the beginning of a new initiative where administrative officials and Comunidade representatives will meet monthly to address long-standing issues affecting these
traditional community
institutions.
The inaugural meeting, chaired by Mangaldas Gaonkar, Administrator of Comunidades, South Zone, was initiated following directions from South District Collector Asvin Chandru to conduct such sessions every month. While the initial attendance was modest, with only a handful of attorneys present, the Administrator expressed optimism about increased participation in future meetings. The session provided attorneys a platform to raise various issues and review pending works, including repairs to the Comunidade building and addressing the problem of encroachments.
The gravity of the situation became evident when Administrator Gaonkar acknowledged that the office records were in a deplorable state, with many documents untraceable. This admission validated the concerns raised by Comunidade components, including Franky Monteiro, who pointed out that even recent complaint data was missing, as evidenced by responses to questions raised at the recent monsoon Legislative Assembly session.
The deteriorating condition of records has been a long-standing issue, with successive governments making promises over the years, but failing to take concrete action.
Several solutions were proposed at the meeting. The digitalisation of old documents emerged as a priority, along with the implementation of an e-court monitoring system. The Collector instructed the Administrator to approach the government and Directorate of Archives and Archaeology with proposals for proper archiving of records, stressing the urgent need to preserve these valuable historical documents.
The meeting also addressed the severe manpower crunch affecting day-to-day administration. The shortage of staff has impacted various aspects of operations, from record-keeping to the execution of administrative decisions.
The Collector tackled administrative efficiency by issuing a seven-day deadline to clear pending dividend and Derrama cheques. Instructions were given to expedite share registration processes to facilitate Comunidade elections. Furthermore, a new transparent approach to budgeting was established, requiring the Administrator to circulate annual ordinary budgets among shareholders and stakeholders before seeking government approval.
Margao Comunidade attorney Celestin Norohna expressed optimism about this new initiative, viewing it as a promising start toward resolving long-standing issues.
Special flying squad to identify, raze illegal structures on Comunidade land
MARGAO: A significant portion of the meeting focused on addressing violations of the Code of Comunidade, particularly illegal construction and hill cutting. The Collector directed the formation of a specialised flying squad comprising various officials, including a Talathi, Attorney, Escrivao, and a surveyor from ISLR. The Administrator was instructed to initiate demolition drives after the monsoon, with the Comunidade Forum offering financial support when needed. Additionally, strict instructions were given regarding cases where tenants use land for purposes other than cultivation, directing the Administrator to file applications under the Tenancy Act for Negative Declaration with the concerned Taluka Mamlatdar.