BICHOLIM: Quite unlike the poor show at the last district panchayat elections, 1,199 voters from three wards in Maulinguem The village of Mayem constituency showed up to vote in a bid to register their protest over the government’s failure to resolve land ownership issues.
According to them, development in the village has been negligible since the past 30-37 years due to the Mokashe land system, through which, they say, the rights of ownership of village land have been given to a particular landlord.
As a result, those who have their houses on such land are unable to repair them without the permission of the landlord concerned. What’s worse is that they cannot even apply for basic facilities like electricity and water supply if they don’t receive a no-objection certificate from the landlord.
This system affects public facilities too, as tasks such as repairing the panchayat building and fixing roads can’t be undertaken if the landlord decides to deny permission.
The villagers said they had brought this matter up before various government authorities on several occasions. When nothing was resolved, they decided to boycott the ZP election. Former Mayem MLA Pravin Zantye had intervened and assured them of a solution with the chief minister’s help. However, no progress has been made.
According to them, development in the village has been negligible since the past 30-37 years due to the Mokashe land system, through which, they say, the rights of ownership of village land have been given to a particular landlord.
As a result, those who have their houses on such land are unable to repair them without the permission of the landlord concerned. What’s worse is that they cannot even apply for basic facilities like electricity and water supply if they don’t receive a no-objection certificate from the landlord.
This system affects public facilities too, as tasks such as repairing the panchayat building and fixing roads can’t be undertaken if the landlord decides to deny permission.
The villagers said they had brought this matter up before various government authorities on several occasions. When nothing was resolved, they decided to boycott the ZP election. Former Mayem MLA Pravin Zantye had intervened and assured them of a solution with the chief minister’s help. However, no progress has been made.
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