NT Reporter
Margao
Following an outcry by gram sabhas opposing the controversial public notice notifying a survey of land within Margao town and villages of Navelim, Davorlim, Aquem, Nuvem, Seraulim, Raia and Ambelim, the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records on Monday said it is ready to clarify the purpose of the survey and has urged village panchayats to arrange interactive sessions with the
general public.
In a letter, the Inspector of Survey and Land Records, Savio Silveira, said that it was observed that many videos were being circulated with misleading information, creating fear and anxiety among the general public, and that the department therefore intended to clarify its position
on the survey.
He said that the Ministry of Rural Development, through the Department of Land Resources and the Survey of India, is embarking on a prestigious project for the creation of land records in urban areas, titled the ‘National Geospatial Knowledge-Based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA)’, for which three cities in Goa—Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim—along with pre-urban areas, have been selected as
a pilot project.
He said that Margao, along with pre-urban areas including Aquem, Davorlim, Navelim, Nuvem, Raia and Seraulim, is part of the said project, and therefore the department intends to brief panchayat members and the general public.
The public notice had drawn sharp public criticism as it claimed that all house owners in the mentioned villages and towns should be present on the date fixed for the survey by
the survey officer for measurements of their houses and other properties, and should give all possible information to the survey officer and allow them to measure their
properties correctly.
The notice further stated that mortgagors, mortgagees, residents and other persons residing abroad having an interest in the survey should take steps to ensure that their rights are recorded correctly. It also said that the surveyor should be permitted to enter premises and properties for internal measurements wherever required.
