NT Reporter
Panaji
Compensation running into over Rs 40 crore as regards large tracts of comunidade land acquired for national highways, railway and infrastructure projects across Goa remains unpaid, indicated government data.
Several high-value cases have remained unresolved for years. Despite compensation being assessed in most cases, disbursement has largely not taken place. The government has cited several reasons for the delay.
A significant number of cases remain pending because comunidades have not filed claims, particularly in areas like Ella, Bhoma and Bandora.
In other instances, payments are held up due to awaiting approvals from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways especially for more recent acquisitions.
The data, provided during the recent Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, showed that the government has acquired well over 1.5 lakh square metres of comunidade land, excluding several hectares of land for railway acquisitions, in several villages including Corlim, Goa Velha, Verna, Loutolim, and Loliem for key projects such as NH-66, NH-748, the new Zuari bridge, and double tracking work.
Major pending amounts include over Rs 4.90 crore for the land at Ella (Corlim ROB project), more than Rs 3 crore worth parcels of land in Corlim, and substantial dues in South Goa villages such as Loutolim, Cortalim and Nagoa under highway expansion
projects.
In the railway sector, individual pending cases run into crores of rupees, including over Rs 4.78 crore in Vasco and Rs 2.30 crore in Mormugao.
Further complications include title verification issue, ownership disputes, and the non-submission of required documents by claimants.
In several cases involving multiple stakeholders, authorities have been unable to determine individual shares due to lack of claims.
Administrative delays have also contributed, as seen in the indoor stadium project at Navelim, where nearly Rs 1 crore remains unpaid pending government approval of procurement proceedings.
The data highlighted a recurring pattern of procedural bottlenecks and the lack of claimant response, raising concerns over delays in compensating traditional comunidade landholders even as infrastructure projects progress across the state.
