On Wednesday, bulldozers moved in and demolished around 31 shops and other makeshift commercial establishments set up along the roads leading up to the Nerul Bridge. A day prior, the bulldozers moved into Lala ki Basti, or Auchit Vaddo, in Tivim, as it was traditionally referred to, and razed 23 homes, some of which had been standing for more than two decades.
The two incidents may have arisen from separate orders of the Bombay High Court at Goa, but they both point to a similar malaise -- illegal constructions mushrooming with the blessings of certain politically connected ‘Lalas’ who wilfully allow these constructions to come up.
The Tivim Comunidade case is a legal battle that has dragged on for more than 15 years to have the illegal huts demolished. Now that the demolition has been carried out, there are many people who are rushing to take credit. What this masks is how these constructions were allowed to come up in the first place.
It wasn’t too long ago when the state administration moved in and demolished a series of illegal retail commercial structures that were set up along the service roads below the overpass at Karaswada in Mapusa. During the demolition what came to light was that the constructions were put up by the Municipal councillors themselves who then leased the spaces out to whoever was willing to take the space to set up a commercial venture -- from chicken stalls to hardware and general stores, vehicle spare parts, puncture repair and a whole host of retail establishments. If the state is to tackle illegal constructions, it is these “Lalas” that need to be tackled first.
In the case of Tivim demolitions, Lala Bepari, who claims to be the original tenant of the Comunidade “since Portuguese days” rose to be a politically influential person. He went on to be a panch member for three terms and even sarpanch of Tivim for one term. This was as far back as 1985. There is no doubt that the comunidade encroachments that happened in the land behind his house have happened with his blessings and have played a big role in him being elected to the panchayat for the three terms. By his own admission, it was his influence that helped several people become MLAs including the incumbent Nilkanth Halarnkar and his predecessor Sadanand Shet Tanavade claiming to have political influence as far back as Dayanand Narvekar’s days as Tivim MLA.
That the Tivim Comunidade could pull off this demolition speaks highly of their determination to safeguard Comunidade land, something that is not common among managing committees of Comunidades. However, the risk remains that as long as the aforementioned politically connected Lalas are still around, the illegal constructions will simply mushroom overnight and it could well be another 15 years before they are demolished. The legal process is painstaking and slow but the political rewards are quick and enduring. For as long as the incentive remains, the illegal constructions will too.
What the State needs to do, if it is serious about illegal constructions, is to take away the political and monetary incentives that allow illegal constructions to sprout and develop roots. Going by the recent discourse surrounding illegal constructions -- with the government ideating on bringing about an ordinance, etc. -- is an indication that the political will to do even some of the above is sorely lacking. And that, in effect, is the root of the problem.
