Mourn the Goa land sale in Delhi or celebrate Gandhi Jayanth in Goa?i

While many celebrate birth anniversary of M.K.Gandhi today in India the rapacious corporate wolves are devoring Goa on Delhi. Our land is put on platter to be traded, to be sold, to be purchased.

Goa has been put on National Highlighter at an exclusive property Expo. This is indeed so sickening and we wish Soviet Union had never exercised veto at UN security council on 18 December 1961 to facilitate India's annexure of Goa through conquest.

M.K. Gandhi had no position on Goa. He fought British. Not Portuguese rule in Goa. One needs to examine reasons for this political position he took. What would be Gandhian position on outright scandalous co-ersive corporate takeover of Goa's land in India's capital New Delhi?

It's choice one needs to make whether to celebrate Birth Anniversary of M.K. Gandhi or mourn sale of Goa as 'property' in Delhi. For State its celebration. For People in Goa it's mourning: sorrowful sagas for Goa once again planned in Delhi whiled executed in Goa. 

Ranes and their mercenary administration over Goa

Why it is important to know about earstwhile mercenary administrators of Goa?

While the role of town planners of Goa and board members under Town and Country Planning Act has attracted increasing attention due to dubious reasons of rapid land conversion into settlement zone there is need to further understand the way Goa's current TCP department functions. 

TCP department is currently headed by Vishwajit Rane. His brazen approach to transfer Goa's land through ammedments to TCP are attracting increasing unrest. The way he dealt with 16 B, 39 A and 17 (2) to parcel out Goa's land to moneyed section of India has been sufficiently noted. What is also noted is the way Vishwajit Rane goes about tactical withdrawal of the TCP sections and re-introduces nefarious principles through different paths. There is something peculiar the way he goes about. After making commitments of land conversions to his known ones from all over India he deploys powerful and cunning initiatives to fulfill the commitment. The matter is no longer restricted to satisfaction of those who sponsored his election campaign. It's much beyond sale of Goa at all costs. He goes all out to facilitate handing over Goa's land to rich and powerful irrespective of how loudly people of Goa shout.

Portuguese who has unique acumen for governing Goa since 25 November 1510 has kept detail documentation on how they dealt with Vishwajit Rane's ancestors.

Portuguese government codified "Reģime para a concessão de terrenos do Estado da Índia" on 24 November 1917 and published in 1918 by Nova Goa - Imprensa Nacional. This document in English would mean Regime for the concession of land in the State of India.

Rule of Ranes under Portuguese fugure under Articles 222 and 223. The following is the English translation of Portuguese text of Article 222:

"There will be a book of accounts in survey department in which all the dessais, accadares and mercenaries who own and administer any of the dessaiados or mercies will be entered.

& Unique. The desaiados and other mercenaries mentioned in this article and currently existing in the State of India are those designated in the Maps annexed in nos 1 and 2 thus being considered as a provisional summery of some mercenaries."

In deed there is annexure of Map.2 on page 88 of the Reģime with a title (English translation):

Dissatisfied & other favors/bounties mercenary administrators 

Maulinguem: Sodogi Gonobá Ranes

Saleli: Candobá Vitoba Ranes

Gululêm: Umaga Zalbá Ranes

Querim: Zoitogi Raugi Ranes

Sanvordem: Ramachandrá Custobá Ranes

Poriem: Ballá Virobá Ranes

Advoi: Manica Zotobá Ranes

The political history of ancestors of Vishwajit Rane has been that of mercenary. The distinguishing character of mercenary relationships with State is extraction of largess through diplomacy of co-ercion of various kinds. Ranes extracted admistration of large tracks of lands from Portuguese through use of co-ercion for self-agrandisement.

Current rule of Vishwajit Rane must be assessed from perspective of mercenary legacy of his ancestors. Minute examination is needed both from within Sattari and without Sattari to understand detail political mercenary maneuvering currently underway from the office of TCP Minister. 

Can anything different be expecting from Vishwajit Rane whose ancestors has left his trail-blazing mercenary legacy other than intensified loot and plunder of Goa?

For mercenary rule what matters is power, wealth, privileges. Political Parties doesn't matter. Political Power matters. Political Parties can be changed easily. Mercenary needs captive souls. Sattari supplies those as per needs of votes in democracy. His father was never even an MLA from BJP Party, yet he enjoys lifetime cabinet status as his retirement largesse from BJP government. This is what mercenary rule yields. Mercenaries makes no qualms about crying in public if that will suit the situation. Many remember Vishwajit Rane crying next to Late Manohar Parrkar. His marriage to Divya has yielded his access to mining baron wealth. Divya in turn has harvested political power from Rane's mercenary politics. Their power together encompasses TCP, Health, Forest, Mining and more. 

This is a broad canvas on for Rajesh Naik Go Back! Rajesh Naik go home! You have caused enough damage! These are slogans from October 01, 2024 protest call given by Swapnesh Sherlekar. 

https://youtu.be/GbLIHKJXihM

Who appointed Rajesh Naik in TCP office in the first place? Are there mercenary strings attach that moves his mind?

Vanxim bridge will uproot and expel locals

Tomas Amansio Rodrigues made some bold statements about Vanxim Island and politicians' attempt to connect it via bridge in Herald on 22nd September 2024 in his article titled "Triple blows threatens Island of Divar".

https://epaper.heraldgoa.in/article/oHeraldo?OrgId=229388a4b4d&eid=1&imageview=0&standalone=1&device=desktop

We take up his important observations for reflections in some detail - sentence by sentence - from 16 sentences about Vanxim with gratitude to Tomas AmansioRodrigues.

1. "Announcement by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on 24 August 2024 during harvest festival in Divar to construct bridge connecting Divar island to Vanxim Island." This announcement is the first threat to Divar Island and foremost threat to Vanxim Island as well threatening the very identity of the two islands in the first place.

2. "Chief Minister's statement coming at a cultural festival surprised many as the long term residents of Divar." In fact the utterances from Chief Minister were much more than surprise. They were shocking indeed. The harvest festival of Bonderam got coup in its very essence from being festival of harvest that was observed by local communidade till some decades ago to festival of real estate (Rajdeep builders and Vianaar) and other corporate ( Coca cola) bonanza. How did this transition happened? Who are the people at the leadership position of PYA allowed such a massive real estate and corporate takeover of Divar's Bonderam?

3. "Divadkars have always opposed a bridge." This is indeed significant collective decision of Divar people that has ensured safety of Divar from rapid and voracious real estate predators. Divadkars deserve appreciation from one and all.

4. "It is only few new residents of Divar that are in favour of bridge." Most of these residents are from different parts of India, accustomed to lifestyle that is different, and often hostile to ethos of Divar Island. They can settle in Divar thanks to the historical annexure of Goa through conquest by India.

5. "Besides, there has never been any demand for bridge from Vanxim, a small island connected to Divar via ferry." This is indeed so. There has never been a demand for bridge from Vanxim. The first time the idea of bridge got seeded in 2010 after Goa Archbishop's office twin sale deeds of February 11, 2006  involving paddy fields of Vanxim to Mahendra Gaunekar and his wife Sonali Gaunekar surfaced on the media. In August 2015 Mahendra Gaunekar sold off same Paddy fields to Ozone Leisure Private Limited for over 15 crore rupees. Few people from Vanxim got deceived then and were used as mouthpiece calling for the bridge connecting Vanxim. Many have realized their copirate hijacking. In fact corporate records reveals bridge as one of the primary requirements (other requirement being construction of retaining wall around entire Vanxim island) to see through realization of installation of five star hotel, luxury villas, helipad, Golf Course and Marina in the middle of Mandovi river inside the paddy fields: unusual harvest plans!

6. "Vanxim has about dozen houses that are inhabited through the year." Yes, slightly more than a dozen to be precise. People of Vanxim gradually moved away from Vanxim to settle all over Goa, India and even beyond.

7. "Other houses remain close most of the year, with people coming there only on holidays." Yes, people visit Vanxim in the month of April-May-June, few in December too.

8. "If one conducts cost-benefit analysis of a bridge to this island, then surely cost will outweigh the benefits." Yes, Ferry services serves well to the island. Avoiding direct road connectivity had protected Vanxim from real estate invasion. Bridge construction will pave way to swallowing of Vanxim Island by corporate greed. Chopdem-Siolim bridge has facilitated tourism invasion of coastal coastal Pernem at unprecedented scale to a level that local people are subjected to acute distress.

9. "I am not merely referring to financial costs here but also to environmental costs." In addition to financial and environmental costs there are also social costs that are never taken into account but very important. One can have peaceful sleep in Vanxim without any vehicular disturbances. Only disturbances in awful odors at Amboi ferry junction due to release of sewage into Mandovi river through underground pipeline from hotel closeby to Ferry ramp.

10. "A bridge cannot be erected without approach roads at either ends." Yes, this is valid poin raised. Huge amount of land on both the islands will have to utilized for approach road to erect the bridge. This is simply bad idea.

11. "Vanxim is so small an island, that one wonders where the approach road will be built."  Yes, Vanxim as island doesn't have sufficient land for such suicidal projects.

12. "Similarly on Divar end, where will approach road begin?" Yes, Divar or Malar stands to loose its land.

13. "How much land will be lost to this, and how many hills be be cut to create the approach roads?" Yes, this is good dimension brought into debate. Mining has ready slashed so many hills of Goa already. Mulgao, Advalpal, Sirgao, Bicholim are already pointers in this direction.

14. "The benefits of such a bridge, if any,  will be only be available to corporates who have for long eye on Vanxim to develop it for tourism purposes." This correct. Bridge is primarily motivation from corporates as they already have most of Vanxim geography under their fraudulent control.

15. "This has been opposed in the past and will be opposed in the future." Yes, it continues to be opposed.

16. "It is obvious to us islanders that the bridge to Vanxim is only to facilitate luxury tourism and 11 households will be displaced once bridge comes up." Yes, attempts for far towards displacements are opposed and opposition continues.

Additionally it must be acknowledged that political leadership including Cumbharjua MLA and Goa Chief Minister are taking up the Vanxim bridge cause is clear indication that their nexus with corporates is firm. Corporate interest is masked and dark faces behind the mask is traceable rather easily.

Siolim Church Assets To Be Privatized?

There is worrying piece of information that is making rounds in households in Siolim these days: Portion of Siolim Church immovable property likely to be put on lease from the begining of 2025.

These assets includes  Sports Ground, Church Complex Hall and Parking facilities. According to the sources lease deed is being processed in top secrecy by the authorities concerned without people of Siolim being on board about the privatization plan.

Sports ground upgraded and St. Anthony's complex was constructed on agriculture land from early to mid 1980s by then Siolim Parish Priest late Fr. Adolf Viegas the popular Football enthusiast who rose to the rank of Canon before his death.

Siolim was once citadel of Football with F.C. Siolim being leading torch bearers that played on this ground. It was and still is popular fitness and entertainment venue that hosted inter-village as well as inter-ward Football tournaments. The man who served Football club Sebastian D'cruz had unimmitable style of Pink, Blue, Green and white coloured chalk drawings on black board announcing details of Football matches outside the F.C.Siolim office in front of St. Anthony's Church. Nostalgic memories!

Siolim is known for some remarkable Football players of the years gone by Inacio, Tynu, Babli, Jophet, Allison, Patrick, Robert, Franky, Elvis, Bobbin, Lucas, Bharat, Armando, Ganesh, Caitan, Raymond and the list goes on.

Football matches would be great attractor of village cohesion and spaces were secure. No one would be required to pay any fee to enter the ground. There are no gates and locks to the ground. No commerce involved.

Schools in and around Siolim SFX school, SFX Higher Secondary School, and higher secondary, Keerti Vidyalaya, Vasant Vidyalaya, Shanta Vidyalaya, Holy Cross High School etc organised their annual sports events without any hurdles and inhibitions. Several people could just enter the ground and go for run or jump or hop as per customized preferences of each. There are no fears. 

Hall at St. Anthony's Complex was ready with first wedding reception on January 01, 1986. Eversince then this hall has served as venue for variety of functions, birthday parties, weddings, religious meets, social functions and variety of other functions. 

However the situation is set to go for dramatic transition if the Ground is leased out, if St. Anthony's Hall is leased out, if Parking lot is leased out. The negotiations are reported to be ongoing and consent seems to be manufactured with casting of votes without copies of MOU/ Lease deed documents being shared with people of Siolim. 

It is not known as to why the privatization proposal is brokered in secrecy and what are the intentions behind such style of brokerage. It is not officially disclosed till date as to who are the parties involved in the lease deed nor their destination of origin. It is not known whether the groups eyeing Siolim Church assets are from Goa in India or Dubai in UAE.

In the context of above situation of anxiety it would be good for those in responsible position of authority to make plans public before agreeing and ratification in the office of Goa Archbishop at Panjim, an office with records of land deeds of nature as suspect as in Tiswadi taluka's Souto Maior in Caranzalem and Vanxim. This could thwart disastrous consequences of such a deed.

Official language of the Church is Latin. Latin word for Church is Ecclesia. English meaning of this Latin word is community. How legitimate is it to lease out immovable property of Parish whose weekly collection touches five digit figures? How justifiable is it to alienate immovable property of a diocese whose weekly collection runs into seven digits? Intentions of the deals doesn't seems to be holy.

Many gets blinded before money and wealth. Judas Iscariot whom Jesus himself had called to be amongst his Apostles leads with an example of selling the founder of the Church for some pieces of Silver currrency of his times.

If Church properties are being sold with active collaboration of those in Ecclesiastical Authority it should be no surprise and matter of shock. It must be understood as their normal course of duty for Our Lady of La Salette warned about such things many years ago on 19 September 1846.

For now let's stand with people of Siolim during their time of anxiety and anguish as they go through their passion. However they need not worry as it might well be the case that the loop in the hand of St. Anthony might extent to the serpents responsible conspiring agents within the Church. May the grace of God supply all the needs of people in Siolim at this moments of trial and tribulations. Let this be our prayers and wishes.

Pending Follow-up Up To North Goa Telecom Comittee Meeting on Mobile Towers Radiation Health Hazzards

CELLULAR RADIATION WATCH - GOA

Date 13 September 2024

To,

The Collector (North Goa) & District Magistrate

Panaji, Goa

Subject: Pending follow-up up to North Goa Telecom Comittee meeting on mobile towers radiation Health Hazzards dated 08 February 2024

Dear Madam/Sir,

I the undersigned Mr. Ashok Bablo Gawas resident of Gullem New Colony, Morlem Sattari, Goa is the complainant against mobile tower installed near Government Primary School Morlem, Sattari, Goa.

Meeting of North Goa District Telecom Committee was held on 8 February 2024 at 11.30 am at conference hall of North Goa collectorate building, Panaji, Goa, under the chairmanship of North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte. Several deposition against mobile towers were presented in addition to mine.

Several issues regarding mobile towers radiation on health effects were raised and discussed. These includes Morlem - Sattari, Guirim in Bardez, and Kumbharjua, Navelim-Divar and Siridao in Tiswadi.

Mobile tower installed near Government Primary School, Morlem is hardly 50 meters away causing grave risk to the young students and staff of the school. This fact was brought to the attention during the meeting.

Now more than seven months have passed by and mobile tower still stands where it was posing grave radiation risks to young lives. There seems to be no follow action from your office nor from the office the Director, Information and Technology, Government of Goa under whose purview North Goa Disctrict Telecom Comittee supposed to function.

I have also came to know that there have been no action taken on complaints to your office from people in Guirim, Navelim- Divar, and Kumbharjua too. No mobile towers objected as above have been shut down. This is very serious issue that is triggering collapse of Public Health in Goa and your delays to initiate action is cause of worry.

You are requested to initiate actions against the following mobile towers urgently with any further delay:

1. Mobile tower at Gullem Colony, Morlem, Sattari

2. Mobile Tower at Kumbharjua, Tiswadi

3. Mobile tower at Guirim, Bardez

4. Mobile Tower at Navelim-Divar, Tiswadi.

Kindly notify the undersigned at above address on what action is being taken or pursued. 

Thanking you.

Yours Sincerely, 

Ashok Gawas

Convenor

Copy to

The Director,

Information and Technology, 

Panaji, Goa

The Deputy Collector & SDM,

Valpoi, Sattari, Goa

The Deputy Collector & SDM,

Panaji, Tiswadi, Goa

Objections to extend subsidy net to high capacity Outboard Motors and large sized cannoes in Goa

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union

Date 17th September 2024

To,

The Director,

Directorate of Fisheries, 

Panaji, Goa

Sub: Objections to extend subsidy net to high capacity Outboard Motors and large sized cannoes in Goa

Madam,

It has come to our attention that your office through Superitendent of Fisheries is actively considering inclusion of canoes upto 42 ft and Out board motor upto 25 HP for Fisheries subsidies.

We attended to this on our Union agenda meeting held on 15th September 2024 and decided that upper limit for canoes should be capped at 38 ft and Outboard motor should be restricted to 08 HP due to sustainability factor. Outboard motors above 08 HP creates deafening sound that scare fish away. The that damage inflicted by cannoe used for illegal purse seine purpose is big and bigger cannoes will facilitate bigger fish catch in illegal operations that department of Fisheries hasn't been able to stop and in ushered in an era of fish famine in waters of rivers and Arabian Sea. Hence we oppose the department proposal as mentioned above for canoes and Outboard motors.

Thanking You,

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Illegal Purse Seine in Zuari River

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union

(AGSSRFU)

Date 17th September 2024

To,

The Director,
Directorate of Fisheries,
Panaji, Goa

To,

Superitendent of Police,
Coastal Security,
Panaji, Goa


Sub: Illegal purse seine fishing in Zuari

Madam/Sir,

This is to bring to your attention that around 20 cannoes carried on illegal fishing in Zuari river at a riverfront stretch from Dona Paula to Odxel. They were noticed and reported to the Fisheries Control Room between 8.00 am to 8.30 am om 15th September 2024.

This is complete collapse of law and order as well as Fisheries administration in the State of Goa.

You are requested to take immidiate preventive steps to ensure that such things are repeated in future.

We will also report this to the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court in WP 2844/23 as violation of the Court directive.

Thanking You,

Yours sincerely,


Shaila D'mello
President




Laximan Mangueshkar
Secretary

Night-time Hooliganism On Beach Stretch From Dona Paula To Siridao

Date 17th September 2024

To,

Secretary (Home),

Secretariat, 

Porvorim,

Goa

To,

The Director,

Directorate of Fisheries, 

Panaji, Goa,

To,

Superitendent of Police, 

Coastal Security,

Panaji, Goa

Sub: Night-time hooliganism on beach stretch from Dona Paula to Siridao

Sir/Madam,

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU) are obliged to bring to your urgent attention night time hooliganism on beaches on Zuari river coast from Dona Paula to Siridao beach. People visit on these beaches - often with vehicles without number plates - after 11.00 pm and spend time on beaches till morning. Sometimes males and females are together as couples. Sometimes groups of males descend on beaches with alcohol bottles. After drinking they routinely break glass bottles on beaches and close to fishing canoes creating dangerous situation for fishers. Often there are cases of narcotics consumption too. 

Please pay urgent attention to this for the sake of safety of fishing operations by canoes on a these beaches due to broken glass pieces every night.

Awaiting your response. 

Thanking You,

Yours sincerely, 

Shaila D'mello

President

Laximan Mangueshkar

Secretary

Divar villagers reject Mangrove plantation project in Khazans

United Divarkars foiled bid to transform Khazan land under Pilot Project on Mangrove restoration
The villagers of Divar and in a special way the farming community were triggered by the Notice of Site Inspection issued by the Department of Environment & Climate Change (DE&CC), Government of Goa for August 28, 2024. The parties who were served the notice included the FORREST (Forest Regeneration & amp; Environmental Sustainability Trust), a Pune based NGO, The Secretary of Village Panchayat, Navelim, Tiswadi, The Administrator of Communidades, Central Zone, Panaji, The Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department (WRD), Mangroves Society of India, Goa Chapter, The Member-Secretary, Goa Biodiversity Board, Dr. Sushant Naik, Expert Member GCZMA, Margao, Attorney of Communidade of Malar, Divar and Miss Bhargavi Kelkar and Mr. Sakhil Naik of DE&CC.

The interested villagers gathered momentum through social media at a short notice of less than 24 hours. Farmers residing across the island who has agricultural land
holdings in Divar also made their presence felt.

When questions were posed to the officials of DE&CC during the site inspection conducted recently as to why the Secretary of Navelim
Panchayat was intimated and not the Sarpanch, so also the Attorney of Malar Communidade who has no jurisdiction in Navelim, and why the land owners were kept in the dark about this project, no answers were forthcoming from DE&CC.

The DE&CC also informed the villagers that the FORREST applied to their department to take up the Pilot Project for Mangrove restoration. When further questioned whether they have accepted their proposal, a member of the FORREST replied that it is
only in the nascent stage and that nothing has been approved as yet.

The villagers further grilled the inspection party about their intent to Mangrove restoration instead of getting rid of the menace of mangroves that is threatening their fertile Khazan lands thereby depriving them of bringing their agricultural lands under cultivation. Khazan land are reclaimed lands from the river for agriculture purposes several centuries ago with specialized community skills and collective expertise.

The villagers brought to the notice of the inspection party that no land in the whole of Divar is earmarked for Mangroves as can be verified from the old Survey Plans of the respective Communidades from the island and that mangroves existed only along river banks along the outer boundary of the island which acted as enforcement for the protection of bunds from soil erosion and prevent breaches in bunds. The mangroves that we see in the fields today is the fallout of ignorance, mismanagement and negligence on the part of the concerned Government agencies.

The FORREST officials tried to hoodwink the villagers that the land proposed by them for Mangrove restoration in actuality is across the road and not the Survey Numbers as mentioned in the Notice of Site Inspection. One of the farmer retorted saying even those lands are coming under khazan.

The Hon’ble MLA, Mr. Rajesh Faldessai who rushed to the site informed the inspection party not to interfere with the Khazan lands of Divar in the future and further assured the villagers that he would seek an appointment with the Chief Minister and Revenue Minister alongwith the villagers for a lasting solution towards the restoration of the Khazan lands of Divar.

Project proposal submitted to the Department of Environment, Government of Goa has pictures of paddy fields that were dried up under the directions of Goa Bench of Bombay High Court as a part of reclamation process for paddy cultivation near Divar-Old Goa Ferry crossings. While proposed Pilot Project for Mangrove cultivation are paddy fields near Divar-Ribandar ferry point. In both the instances paddy fields that are eyed for take over of transition from Paddy fields to Mangroves with community participation. Irony of the entire FORREST project is that it has planned without people thereby making mockery of premises of local people's participation proposed in the project.

The experience of this experiment has been bitter and disappointing precisely because they haven't cared to learn ecological history of Divar Island harvesting conflict.

It is indeed great that awakening has set on the island of Divar. We hope that the torch of awakening will spread to neighboring island of Vanxim and in Malar wherein few people are determined to destroy Vanxim by allowing themselves to be used as mouthpiece for bridge to Vanxim. It's first step to uproot houses in Vanxim by corporate predators like Ozone group. May people in Malar and Vanxim be inspired by heroic defence of paddy fields from the clutches of FORREST.

Amidst Gross Discrepency All is Not Well In Moira Project permisions

This document presented to Moira Panchayat about controversial project in Moira in survey no. 154/7 has valuation report for another plot with survey no. 154/27.

Form I & XIV attached is about survey no. 154/7. No land documents are presented to the Panchayat about survey no. 154/27.

How did the Panchayat authorities allot permision with such gross discrepancies?