Team Goemkarponn
MOLLO: A land survey conducted in the village of Mollo, Pale under the jurisdiction of Velsao Pale & Issorcim has sparked a controversy, with allegations that the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has tampered with demarcation markers set by the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR). The survey, carried out on December 20th and 21st, was meant to settle the boundary issues raised by local villagers, NGOs, and the Panchayat.
According to Goencho Ekvott, a local environmental NGO, the DSLR team meticulously conducted the land survey and set the markers according to the established coordinates. However, recent videography evidence has revealed that RVNL employees carried out a separate, parallel survey in the same area, reportedly shifting some of the markers by up to four meters landward. This has been described as a blatant violation of land regulations by Goencho Ekvott.
The NGO claims that the unauthorized actions of RVNL and its subcontractors not only compromise the integrity of the demarcation process but also appear to be an act of deliberate encroachment on privately owned land. In light of these allegations, Goencho Ekvott has called for a re-survey of plot #18/1 in Mollo, Pale village and demands that the relevant authorities take strict action against RVNL and its employees for this “willful criminal act.”
“These actions are not just a breach of trust, but a serious violation of the legal frameworks governing land rights in Goa,” said a representative from Goencho Ekvott. “We urge the authorities to intervene immediately and ensure that justice is served.”
RVNL, a government-owned company tasked with railway infrastructure projects, has yet to comment on the allegations.
Local villagers and environmental activists are demanding that a thorough investigation be conducted and that any unlawful alterations to the land boundaries be reversed. As tensions rise, the future of land management and governance in the region remains uncertain, with many questioning the accountability of public and private contractors involved in such sensitive matters.
The Goa government has not issued an official statement as of yet.
