Date: 09 April 2016
Bharat Mukti
Morcha commemorates 17 years of Agreement to Sale of Vanxim Island. The
agreement was signed, by the then Archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonsalves and
Mahendra Gaunekar On 9th April 1999. As per agreement Archbishop
Gonsalves agreed to sell 4,85,400 square meters of land composed of paddy
fields and bunds of Vanxim to Mahendra Gaunekar. This fact is recorded in the
document of Sale deed executed on 11th February 2006 between
Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao and Mahendra Gaunekar. Further this fact –the existence
of this Agreement of Sale - is also recorded in the Joint Development Agreement
executed on 11th August 2009 between Mahendra Gaunekar, his wife
Sonali Gaunekar from Altinho, Panjim and
three Bangalore based corporates - Ozone Leisure and Resorts Private limited,
Tuscan Consultant and Developers and Ozone Propex Private Limited. Further
Press Statement from the Archdiocese of Goa dated 2nd January 2016
also mentions the existence of this Agreement to Sale.
Bharat Mukti
Morcha is surprised that people of Vanxim were neither consulted by Archbishop
Gonsalves before entering into Agreement to Sale nor copy of this document
distributed amongst the People of Vanxim till date nor the Priests serving the
people of Vanxim was aware of this. This is shocking reality considering that Archbishop
Gonsalves has expertise in Canon law and behaved in such an irresponsible
manner betraying not only People of Vanxim but also dragging Bishop’s house in
a state of multiple scandals. Bharat Mukti Morcha calls Archbishop’s house to
make this ‘Agreement to Sale’ public.
Recent press
hand out by Diocesan Centre for Social Communications media dated 2nd
January 2016 reveals that from 1992 Archdiocese has been receiving requests
from various companies and individuals to sell land in Vanxim. Bharat Mukti
Morcha calls for list of these companies who made request to sell Vanxim be
made public along with the correspondence. Also why the companies got
interested in 1992 only and not earlier than that? Is it because Archdiocese of
Goa successfully concluded sale deed of vast track of land in Caranzalem and
Taleigao? Belonging to trust, set up by late Souto Maior in most unethical
manner in 1992? Is Archdiocese of Goa addicted to selling land and hence Vanxim
was taken up next after Caranzalem and Taleigao?
Why
Archbishop Gonsalves never went to Vanxim between 1992 and 1999 and informed
people personally or through any of his representatives when the negotiations
for selling was going on in Bishop’s house? Why the claimed NOC of the tenants to
companies still not made public? Under what authority the Archbishop’s house is
referring to the people of Vanxim as ‘so – called tenants’ when they and their
ancestors are original tenants of Vanxim?
In the light
of the press statement of the Archdiocese there is ground to suspect that
Bishop’s house is involved in nexus with companies to breach bunds of Vanxim
between 1992 and 1999 so that it can claim that tenants are not cultivating the
paddy field. Bunds were breached and Mandovi water was allowed to flood the
paddy field precisely during this period. Common sense logic suggests that
Archdiocese is directly involved in destroying agriculture in Vanxim in order
to claim that soil is unfit for cultivation. Soil testing report of 2016 indicates
that Vanxim soil is highly fertile and fit for paddy cultivation.
When in 1996 Archdiocese
received letter for purchase of Vanxim Archbishop Gonsalves, knowledgeable in
Canon Law was duty bound to investigate as to how much was the cost of
maintenance of Santa Monica convent in Old Goa which is National Institute of
Theological Formation? It is clear from the Press statement that the Santa
Monica Convent never made any request to sell Vanxim in order to raise funds
for their maintenance. It is only real estate agents who wanted to buy Vanxim
and Archbishop Gonsalves acted to satisfy their greed.
The decade of
1990’s was marked by high level awareness of ill effects of tourism and Church
was seized with this issue. Archbishop Gonsalves even issued pastoral letter on
tourism and Diocesan Pastoral Council initiated sub-committee report on hazards
of luxury tourism in Goa. Simultaneously Archbishop Gonsalves has entered into
‘Agreement to Sale’ on Vanxim.
Bharat Mukti
Morcha calls for making the petition of the Archdiocese to the Holy See in Rome
public along with approval to sell Vanxim granted in 1997 vide letter Prot No.
1466/97 dated 08/04/1997. Was the approval letter from Holy See meant for
construction of Golf Course, Casinos, Private Marinas, Recreational Clubs Real
Estate Villas and Five Star Hotel? Why these documents are kept concealed till
date? Does Canon law permit this? Canon
1254 (2) requires use to land for the purposes principally: “to order divine
worship, to care for the decent support of the clergy and other ministers, and
to exercise the works of sacred apostolate and of charity, especially towards
the needy.” Bypassing the Panchayat, Bypassing Town and Country Planning
Department, Bypassing Land Revenue Code, bypassing Regional Plan the BJP
government came up with Goa Investment Promotion Act 2014 and Vanxim has been
brought under this Act. Why Goa Diocese has refrained from protesting? Is it
because they themselves has sold Vanxim? The damage that bishop’s house has
caused to Vanxim through Agreement to Sale and subsequent sale is highly
intense.
Bishop’s
house has to immediately take steps of restitution to reverse this damage
caused, cancel sale deed, involve people to revive agriculture again and drive
away the Ozone corporate and Gaunekar from Vanxim based on existing frauds.
Sd/-
Maggie
Silveira
President,
Goa Unit
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