Process of identification of Kumeri cases has already begun: Filipe Neri

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-02-10
PANAJI - The survey and demarcation of the Kumeri land in the state is in progress, just as the government has found 2,326 cases of encroachments in the North Goa forest land - 2001 in Sattari taluka, 206 in Pernem taluka and 119 in Ponda taluka - by the Kumeri cultivators, and 604 such cases in the South Goa forest land – 327 in Canacona taluka, 222 in Quepem taluka and 55 in Sanguem taluka - by them.
The Minister for Forests, Mr Filipe Neri Rodrigues informed that a special officer team headed by officer from the revenue department has already started process of identification of such Kumeri cases.
Stating that no specific timeframe is given to complete the work, Mr Rodrigues said that since the work of identification was voluminous, spread throughout and time consuming, it was further decided by the state government to outsource the same to a private agency by calling tenders for works like demarcation of plots on the field.
It was informed that Theovel Surveys, Bangalore has been awarded this work and the survey as well as demarcation work is presently in progress in Ponda, Pernem and Canacona taluka. The agency has completed survey work in respect of 101 cases in Usgao village of Ponda taluka, 29 cases in Cotigao village of Canacona taluka, while 46 cases in Chandel village and 38 cases in Ibrampur village in Pernem taluka. The survey work is yet to commence in the Sattari, Sanguem and Quepem talukas.
The formalities of tendering, including drafting of agreement to be signed with the executing agency was completed in November 2008. The executing agency commenced the work from December 2008, and it is proposed to complete the Kumeri survey work in 12 months, excluding the monsoon period.
There are over 2,500 Kumeri cases all over Goa, mostly in the rural talukas of Quepem, Sanguem, Canacona, Pernem, Sattari and Ponda. Originally forest dwellers, land was given to the Kumeri cultivators for cultivating cashew and other crops before Liberation. Some were even given Sanads before 1980, when the Forest Conservation Act came into force.
Post 1980, no conversion Sanads could be issued as the land was protected by the Forest Conservation Act, although it was already in the possession of the cultivators. The Kumeri cultivators have long been demanding rights over the land they have been cultivating since pre-Liberation days. The government has also received representations from various quarters especially the associations of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in Goa.
The revenue department informed that the regularisation of Kumeri lands in Goa and issuance of Sanad is subject to clearance from the forest department as maximum cases are in the forest land. It was also informed that in case the land falls in the forest area, the Scheduled Tribe cultivators will get the benefit of the Forest Dwellers Act.
There has been a delay in the implementation of the provisions of the Forest Dwellers Act as the preliminary work of constitution of Forest Rights Committees is being carried out by the village panchayats. Once these committees are constituted, further follow up action would be initiated as per the Rules of the Act in force.