Panaji: The North Goa Collector has directed the Bicholim Mamlatdar to enquire and submit his report into the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was seeking to get land in Survey No. 60/8 at Cotombi in Bicholim by allegedly falsely claiming to be a Mundkar.
In his complaint to the Collector, Adv. Aires Rodrigues stated that it has been shockingly revealed in the information obtained by him under the Right to Information Act that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant filed an application before the Mamlatdar of Bicholim on 26th September this year which was promptly registered as Case No. MND/DECL/COTOMBI/2019 seeking declaration as Mundkar under Section 8A of the Goa Mundkar Act 1975 which was a ploy to grab the property and that strangely three hearings had swiftly taken place over the last three months.
Pointing out that the application filed by Pramod Sawant was totally untenable and that the Mamlatdar ought to have rejected it at the very threshold, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint stated that Pramod Sawant had not even stated the name of the original Bhatkar and that he had also not revealed since when his parents or he was inducted by this mysterious Bhatkar into the property where the claim of mundkarship is now being made.
Drawing the attention of the Collector that this was a basic requirement needed, to establish since when the mundkarship claim is made to enable the claim to be maintainable, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint further stated that Pramod Sawant has claimed that he has reconstructed the house at his cost but was silent on how the re-construction was done and whether Panchayat licence for re-construction was obtained.
Alleging that “Proposed repair of house” plan annexed to the application for declaration of mundkarship was merely to get a stamp of approval for an illegal reconstruction, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint stated that the House tax receipt issued by Village Panchayat annexed was dated 13.09.2019 a few days before the mundkarial application was made showing payment of House tax for years 2018-19 and 2019-20 but that there were no house tax of the previous years dating back to “the appointed date” when the Mundkar Act came into force.
Questioning as to when the house tax was transferred or entered in Pramod Sawant’s name, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint stated that Pramod Sawant having been born on 24th April 1973 could not make any claim in respect of a right two years prior to the appointed date required under the Mundkar Act.
Stating that Pramod Sawant had claimed that water connection was obtained by him but had given no details nor attached any water bills, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint stated that if water connection is obtained now it would be inadmissible to claim occupation prior to the appointed date.
Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that Pramod Sawant in his Mundkar application also claimed that the names of his parents were duly recorded in the electoral roll of the year 1970 but has not enclosed any proof thereof to the effect that it pertains to the very house number of which Mundkarship is now claimed.
Stating that Pramod Sawant in his application claimed that the Electricity connection continues in the name of the Bhatkar and was not transferred due to ignorance of law on the part of his parents, Adv. Rodrigues has alleged that this is a story hard to believe and that it was clear that they were not occupying the house and hence the electricity connection was rightly not transferred in his parent’s or his name.
