MADH GAOTHAN OBJECTS TO KOLIWADA TAG, WRITES TO BMC

Mumbai:residents of the gaothan in Madh Island have written to the suburban collector, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and fisheries department, asking for a change in the tag given to the area after it was marked as a koliwada in the BMC’S Development Plan 2034.

The residents from the East Indian and Somvanshi Kshatriya communities have around 150 houses in the gaothan.

“The koliwada and gaothan are at a distance of 100 metres. If our gaothan is marked as a koliwada, we will lose the status of being landowners as koliwada falls under the collector’s land,” said Cedric Miranda, president, Madh East Indian Association.

Another demand raised by the community was demarcation and extension of the gaothan.

“According to the rules, there should be 200 metres extension to each gaothan every 10 years, but it has been 60 years since the last extension was made,” said Chandrakant Patil, president, Somvanshi Kshatriya Samaj, Madh.

Over the years, with an increase in number of family members, many of them have been accommodated on a nearby land, which does not fall within the boundary of the gaothan.

Koliwada and gaothans are differentiated on the basis of occupation. Residents of gaothans were farmers and koliwadas are for fishermen.“we are looking into the matter,” suburban collector Sachin Kurve told HT.

If our gaothan is marked as a koliwada, we will lose the status of being landowners. CEDRIC MIRANDA, president, Madh East Indian Association