Daijiworld Media Network - Margao
Margao, Feb 4: The Nuvem gram sabha, held on Sunday, passed a resolution demanding that the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) drop its proposed digital 3D land survey of the village.
Nuvem is among several villages around Margao included under the Centre’s Naksha scheme, which has already triggered strong opposition in neighbouring villages such as Navelim and Davorlim in recent weeks.
The resolution was moved by Jose Roque Andrade, with villagers raising multiple concerns over the purpose and possible implications of the survey.
Members questioned why Nuvem alone was being singled out instead of the wider constituency and raised fears that the exercise could pave the way for the merger of villages into the Margao municipality.
Concerns were also expressed over whether the proposed survey was linked to the government’s plans under the Escheats Act, 2024, particularly regarding the appropriation of vacant or inherited land.
Villagers demanded clarity on:
• The status and handling of disputed lands
• The treatment of farmhouses in the No Development Zone
• Who would ultimately benefit from the survey
The gram sabha resolved that if any survey is required in the future, it should cover the entire Nuvem constituency rather than being limited to the village alone.
The meeting also witnessed a heated discussion over a mega project approved in the Kirbhat area. Residents questioned the sarpanch on how the project received approval when the access road was allegedly only 3.5 metres wide, contrary to the 6-metre width shown in Town and Country Planning (TCP) documents.
Villagers also sought to know whether the panchayat carried out any ground inspection before issuing the approval.
A resolution was passed to disallow any further mega projects in the area, with sarpanch Freda D’Sa assuring villagers that she would stand with them on the issue.
Other matters highlighted during the gram sabha included:
• Roadside vendor encroachments creating traffic hazards on village roads
• Concerns over the carrying capacity of Nuvem
• A follow-up on the proposed de-notification of the old NH17 stretch at Nuvem, from Fr Agnel College to the Honda showroom