Church clarifies on Vanxim land deal

HERALD NEWS BUREAU
PANJIM, DEC 13
Faced by mounting accusations, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman has clarified its position on the land deal executed by it over the island of Vanxim.
In a statement issued by the Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media (DCSCM), the archdiocese recalled that the greater part of the island of Vanxim was the property of Santa Monica Convent, belonging originally to the Augustinian Nuns of Old Goa and administered now by the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
“The proceeds of this and other properties of the Convent are to be used in the maintenance of this historical and massive building, which houses, since many years, an All India Institute for the Formation of Religious Sisters, called Institute Mater Dei.”
“Being a multi-centennial building, it needs repairs and the expenses run into lakhs of rupees. On the other hand, it was seen that the land at Vanxim was not generating any income to the Archdiocese, for quite some years,“ the statement added.
The DCSCM stated that the residential area around the Vanxim Church, measuring about 98,192 sq mts, which belongs to the Archdiocese, is presently in the possession of local residents.
“A number of them hold their respective area on lease agreement. There is also a tenanted area (paddy fields) of 3,00,275 sq. mts. The tenants, a good number of them residing outside the island, had not been cultivating the land for more than 15 years.”
In 1996, some tenants of this encumbered area, taking the benefit of the Tenancy Act, after the order of the Mamlatdar, deposited the purchase price for their respective areas (36 paise per sq. mt.).”
“It was also found that the tenants had been simultaneously in negotiation with a real estate developer over the same land. Besides, the Tenants Association of the encumbered land had given a ‘No Objection’ to the Archdiocese for the disposal of the land.”
“There is, besides, a non tenanted area, admeasuring 1,85,125 sq. mts,” the DCSCM added.
The statement further claimed that in 1992, the Archdiocese had begun receiving requests from various persons to buy the above properties at Vanxim.
“At first, the Archdiocesan authorities did not intend to sell them, but later, as good offers continued to come in, and taking into account that tenants were not cultivating the land, the matter was discussed in the concerned consultative bodies of the Archdiocese, as per the norms of the Church. With their consent, it was decided to dispose of the non-tenanted and tenanted properties at Vanxim.”
“Accordingly, the Archdiocese entered into an Agreement of Sale with Mahendra Gaunekar in April 1999 and, after fulfilling the conditions of the Agreement, on February 11, 2006, the unemcumbered (non-tenanted) area was sold to Gaunekar through a Deed of Sale for Rs 37,02,500 only,” the DSCSM stated.
“On the same day, that is, on 11-02-2006, the encumbered (tenanted) area was also transferred to Gaunekar, through a “Deed of Transfer of Ownership and Assignments of Rights,” for Rs 18,01,650 only. It is to be noted that, through this particular Deed, the tenant’s right to use the land as well as to purchase the land was not transferred.”
“Unfortunately, ulterior developments that took place on the ground made the archdiocesan authorities quite uncomfortable.”
“It is reported that spurious information is being disseminated to the effect that the archdiocese had sold to Gaunekar not only the rights of the tenants, but also additional land surrounding the residential houses, implying that the occupants/tenants are now at his mercy,” the DCSCM added.
The DCSCM has claimed that there is evidence of some tenants filing affidavits in the Court of Law, declaring that they have no rights over their area of the land.
“It is also alleged that various types of pressure are being exerted to get the tenants give up their rights to the land.”
“The Archdiocese expresses its strong disapproval of all unfair and unlawful means being used by any person/s. However, since the deals mentioned above are legally valid, the Archdiocese is unable to arrest the course of events where the law of land is observed,” stated the DCSCM.
(Herald, 14/12/2010)