‘Bhumi bill could benefit over 400 Dhangars in Sattari’

Valpoi: The Goa Dhangar Samaj Seva Sangh, Sattari, has claimed that the Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill that was recently passed by the Goa government is for the benefit of the Dhangar community in Sattari taluka as it will accord land ownership to such families living in forest areas.
The samaj demanded that the government immediately implement the bill by taking the governor’s assent.
President of the Goa Dhangar Samaj Seva Sangh, B D Mote, said 140 Dhangars from Sattari had applied for the government’s Atal Asra Yojana in 2014, but their applications haven’t been approved yet due to non-ownership of land.
The scheme requires that ownership of land be proved if one seeks financial assistance to build a new house or to reconstruct or repair an existing one.
“Apart from the Morlem panchayat, Dhangars have around 415 houses in 11 panchayats of Sattari. All households will get land ownership, and hence the Goa government must implement the bill,” Mote said.
People from the Dhangar community said they would be able to apply for many schemes and secure their habitation if they are given ownership of their houses.
“Across Sattari, people from the Dhangar community are living on government land, as the government’s name is mentioned on the Form I & XIV, which provides information about the occupancy of the land concerned. Once the bill is implemented, the houses will be in the names of the respective Dhangar families,” Valpoi-based lawyer Ganpat Gaonkar told TOI.