Team Goemkarponn
CUCHELIM: The State administration today has initiated demolition of around 35 homes belonging to owners who were duped to build houses on government-acquired comunidade land in Cunchelim.
The demolition drive, began early morning today after the issuance of notices by the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bardez, Kabir Shirgaonkar.
The majority of them don’t know what to do or who to blame for the dishonest business dealings that put them in this situation.
We feel as though we’ve been imprisoned. We put a lot of effort into building our homes, and now we’re being told we must move out. One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, stated, “We don’t even know where to go or what to do next.”
Many people have tried to contact local officials and legal counsel for assistance, but many have had difficulty receiving specific guidance or support since they do not fully comprehend the specifics of the land transaction or who is accountable for the fraudulent activities. “We’re not even sure who we should complain about.
Many are demanding that the government step in immediately to look into the fraudulent land deals and provide them the clarification they require.
Additionally, they are pleading with the authorities to halt the demolition orders until the entire scope of the deception is known. One person came to the conclusion, “We just want justice and we hope the government will step in to help us.”
The Cunchelim community adopted a resolution in 2010 to set aside 15,000 square meters for this purpose, with 5,000 square meters set aside for Muslim, Christian, and Hindu cemeteries (Survey No. 10/11 and PT Sheet No. 2).
The land was later purchased by the State government in 2018. The circumstance has dealt a tremendous blow to the impacted homeowners.
Many people suddenly learned that the land had been designated as illegal after investing their entire life’s savings into what they thought were safe properties.
Families who say they were ignorant of the land’s government status were shocked and irate when notices were placed on the houses on November 5 informing the residents that they would have to vacate.
Many people bought their plots from dealers who allegedly misrepresented the ownership status, according to the locals.
