Panaji: While illegal constructions in swathes of comunidade lands has been plaguing authorities and members of these age-old institutions for decades, the government-appointed Comunidade Commission has recommended no amnesty to recent structures, but only long-standing ones and in legally difficult cases.In its 210-page report submitted recently to the government, the commission, which was formed after a petition in high court of Bombay at Goa sought an assessment of the status of the hoary comunidade institutions, has set a time frame for regularizing structures which existed prior to 2000.While clarifying that regularization of illegal constructions is not the commission's primary objective, it recommended that some guidelines be framed for the benefit of the comunidades in case the government decides about further development, resettlement of illegal structures and encroachments at a mass level to curb their spread further in the area.The components of 220-odd comunidades have been agitated over the government's moves to regularize illegal structures, alleging that they are politically motivated and without considering the issue of endangering the age-old institutions on the verge of collapse. The Commission suggested that authorities collect data whether the beneficiaries are genuinely homeless and residents of the state for more than 15 years, with adequate proof."A proper model of the scheme with approval of the TCP department could be made to be adopted in principle," the report states.The commission also suggests that one of the criteria for regularization could be a minimum area of at least 5,000 sq m involving about 25 to 30 families to prevent misuse, but if action is contemplated on illegal construction in individual cases, they should not be included under such a scheme."The government would have to first collect such data and complete such an exercise all over the state in order to appreciate the magnitude of the problem. This will enable a more realistic solution," the report states.In other matters, especially individual structures cropping up on comunidade lands, the commission suggested that the administrators of comunidades of north, central and south zone act uniformly against the trespassers.This issue arose after the administrator of south zone comunidades had issued a circular, wherein the comunidades would have to issue a show-cause notice to encroachers and if this failed, then the administrator would follow the same procedure of seeing explanation or proof of the legality of the structure.

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