CALANGUTE: The dumping of garbage on comunidade land atop the Calangute hill figured prominently at an extraordinary meeting of the comunidade of Calangute held recently.

Besides this, issues of encroachment by vendors on land at the weekly Saturday market, illegal constructions on comunidade land and fields, and non-cultivation of agricultural land by tenants, also figured at the meeting.

Calangute comunidade attorney Antonio D'Souza, speaking to ToI, said that the meeting resolved to sort out the issue of dumping of garbage atop the Calangute hill by the Calangute panchayat in an amicable manner.

"They're dumping the garbage there on land belonging to the comunidade for the last 10 years without paying any compensation. We're not saying, stop it, but let us enter into a lease agreement so that the share-holders of the comunidade can benefit. Now the panchayat is saying that the state government has asked them to acquire the land to build a garbage treatment plant. We've resolved to take an appointment with the panchayat and the sarpanch to resolve the issue amicably," he said.

The issue of the weekly Saturday market near the church on comunidade land also featured at the meeting. Members pointed out that while the land is meant to be used temporarily by the vendors on Saturdays, some of them have set up permanent residences there, thereby depriving vendors of space at the market and also inconveniencing the public. They alleged that this is nothing but vote-bank politics.

Says Antonio D'Souza, "When we try to remove them with the help of the authorities, they go to the courts and the matter drags on for years. There are so many illegal constructions on comunidade land here, that I call it day-light robbery."

The issue of farmer tenants on comunidade land failing to cultivate the agricultural fields also figured at the meeting. It was pointed out that this is being done because of sky-rocketing prices of land in Calangute.

D'Souza also referred to a large number of huge resorts in the village which have encroached on comunidade land, giving the example of one resort which has built soak-pits in a nullah-pathway belonging to the comunidade.

"We're saying, pay us some compensation and do it. Whenever people in need have asked us for land, we've given them. We've given land for the community's needs, we've given land for an overhead tank, PWD offices and electricity office. We're there for the community's needs, but this daylight robbery has to stop," he said.