Goa govt to revive defunct comunidades in state

The Goa government has decided to revive defunct comunidades, the Portuguese-era establishments, which are custodian of the lands in the state's rural areas, as many of them are without representatives.
Talking to reporters yesterday, state Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said the government is considering the recommendations of Comunidade Commission that was formed following the high court directives.
"Currently, we are studying the report of Comunidade Commission, which has been submitted to the revenue department. It will be taken up with the chief minister," Khaunte said.
Stating that several comunidades are without elected representatives on them, the minister said that out of total 90 bodies in South Goa, 48 are functional.

"We have asked such bodies to either appoint representatives or else the government will appoint one," the minister said.
According to him, the state government intends to provide all the required infrastructure for comunidades.

"The state government has already appointed three administrators who have been communicating with the defunct bodies to hold the elections and appoint the representatives, but there is no revert from them (comunidades)," he said.
"These defunct comunidade do not have updated list of shareholders and other documents," he said adding that the government has started the process to put in place all the comunidades, which will make them more transparent.

Thecomunidades are a form of land association developed in Goa, where land-ownership was collectively held, but controlled by the male descendants of those who claimed to be the founders of the village.
Documented by thePortuguese as of 1526, it was the predominant form of landholding in Goa prior to 1961, when the state was liberated from the colonial power.