Santa Cruz Panchayat serves notice of demolition to Builders

Today on Novemeber 15, 2007 Santa Cruz Panchayat served notice of demolition to the builders who yesterday had constructed gate on the road connecting Cacra to Nauxi villages in Tiswadi Goa. The local member of Panchayat along with the Cacra Nagrik Vikas Samiti (CNVS) moved into action and pressurised the Santa Cruz Panchayat to act tough with the builders. The builders are given seven days notice under section 66 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1993.

Yesterday at around 12 noon group of 20 goons came to the village and errected metal gate on the road passing via Zuari Coast - within 2 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL). The most shameful things of this saga is that the goons hired for this 'job' are all from the surrounding villages and they had taken contract to construct the gate from the builders. Panchayat notice is addressed to one Savio who is believed to be active persons if not the 'owner' of the Cacra commuinty lands. It may be noted that the land at this prime location is targetted by number of builders and Real Estate agents. The case of 'Aldeia de Goa' taking over around 140 acres of land to set up super luxurious residential complexes overlooking the Zuari River and the Murmagao Harbour is covering Bambolim and Nauxi Villages.

The goons, by the way are also threatening the villagers of Nauxim as the houses there are of the Gawada adivasis are causing hinderance to the Comforts of the super rich. People here are offered cash by force and asked to leave thier dwelling places so as to make way for the plans to construct mini harbours inside Zuari so that water sports can make way. Current sources of livelihood in these villages is fishing and that is sort to be put to end by the Luxury tourism policies and instead plans are underway for full scale pomotion of water sports. Nauxi has come under severe pressure after its mountain was 'sold' to builders' firm by the landlord Mhambre. It is actually a bunch of landlords that are first responsible to cunningly transfer land titles into their names and then sell the same to the builders.

The Cacra-Nauxi public road blockade is only the begining of things to come with goon power. This road even several years before it was tarred by the Alcon developers, was and still is a traditional way of the Cacra villagers going to Nauxi, Bambolim and Siridao. The road is also used as fishing Path. The land to the builders - Alcon dvelopers was sold again here by another Bhatcar - landlord Pradeep Talaulikar. His family got these land titles in his families names with usurious intentions during Portuguguese colonial period that ended in 1961. It is landlord-Builders nexus that is involved in conquests of lands of Goa's adivasis in 'Liberated Goa'.

Patience of the Cacra villagers that fought industrialist Timblos in 1997 though village anhilating porject called OSB - Offshore Stockyard and Bearth by Marmagoa Maritime Limited (MML), who fought over water theft from their village well by Timblos 1999, who are continuesly guarding against encroachment of builders, are facing yet another test. However it is not going to be thier last test as struggles of over land are acutely fought over throughout Goa and Cacra simly has best of lands for builders and Real Estate sharks.