MPT LEASED OUT RECLAIMED LAND TO ADANI & JSW WITHOUT OWNERSHIP, SAYS SOCIAL ACTIVIST
VASCO: Citizens of Mormugao taluka fear that the State government is dragging its feet in reclaimed land issue, where the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) is trying to claim ownership.
Social activist Edwin Mascarenhas has filed an intervening application before the Mormugao Deputy Collector in a matter between MPT, Captain of Ports, Land Survey Department and the Revenue Department. In this case, MPT had made an application in 2016 asking the Deputy Collector to survey 5.78 lakh square metres of reclaimed land and to enter their name in Form D.
This land is a part of Zuari river and comes under the Goa Government as per the Goa Land Revenue Code, said Mascarenhas.
According to Mascarenhas, the MPT had reclaimed the land illegally and without obtaining necessary permission and leased around 96,000 square metres to the third parties such Adani and JSW to store coal.
“How can MPT lease the land that does not belong to them? The MPT does not have a title to the land as the land belongs to the Government of Goa,” Mascarenhas said.
Arguing that jurisdiction does not mean ownership, Mascarenhas said that he filed the intervention petition since Under Secretary (Revenue), who is also a party in the case had not deputed its lawyer to argue the case for last one-year.