Components and shareholders of Anjuna Comunidade in its Extra-ordinary General Body meeting on Sunday decided to levy a fee of Rs 75 lakhs on Spacebound Web labs Private Limited – organisers of Sunburn; a fee of Rs 16 lakhs on Ameet Bakhale- organiser of Bike Week; and a fee of Rs 16 lakhs on John Stephen D’souza to organise rider Mania 2022 on Anjuna Comunidade land.
“I am happy that the extraordinary meeting was held in a spirit of cordiality and the rates mentioned to you will now be sent to the organisers. At the end of the day, we were discussing about the income we need to earn and the money that we will share as ‘zonn’,” Dominic Pereira, president of Anjuna comunidade told GT Digital.
“It is time these organisers started realizing that they pay the comunidades what is their due and stop bribing others to use our land. Comunidades have been taken for granted for years and it is time promoters of events realize that honesty is an easy path to success,” stated Dr Fenton D’Souza one of the Ganvkars from the comunidade who attended the meeting.
“The government cannot decide the rates for Ganvkars. After discussion during the meeting, a resolution was passed on the rates to be charged for the use of our land and the same will be conveyed to the organisers. It is our call because it is our land,” Dr Fenton stated emphatically.
It may be recalled here that the Revenue Department on 15/12/2021 laid down ‘Guidelines for Grant of comunidade Land on Temporary Basis’ in response to a High Court of Bombay at Goa order in WP No 1119 of 2021.
“We deliberated on the rates and decided that it is time that Ganvkars are shown their due. People were profiteering by staking claim for the land and the comunidade was being paid peanuts all these years. We are going to share what we will get paid collectively,” emphasised Dr Fenton.
“The rates suggested by the Government in the notification were Ready Reckoner rates. Anyway, the government cannot tell us or suggest to the General Body what rates to charge,” stated ecstatic Ganvkar Julian as he left the hall after the meeting.
Sunburn, according to sources in Anjuna Comunidade, had requisitioned 1.40 lakhs square meters land for their event in December; Rider Mania had requisitioned 20,000 square meters and India bike week, 50,000 square meters.
“This is just the beginning, a good beginning because people thought our comunidade could be looted. I say this is the beginning because if we stand united, we all stand to benefit. Outsiders have been trying to bring discord amongst us in the past. The resolutions taken during the meeting today, I hope, will send a clear signal to all,” stated Ganvkar Michael Mendonca.
“Today is not just a great day for Ganvkars of Anjuna but ganvkars from all comunidades in Goa. Ganvkars of Anjuna have now set a benchmark that we cannot be taken for granted and that our rights cannot be usurped by anyone. Once the resolutions are passed on, it is for them to either pay up or decided against having their events on Anjuna comunidade land,” explained Rui Da Gama, president of the All Goa Comunidade Ganvkari Association (AGCGA).
“If the event organisers ask for a revision of rates, another extraordinary general body meeting will have to be called. Ganvkars could approach the High Court if there are attempts to push through, as resolutions of the General Body are supreme,” explained Rui.
Sixty-nine ganvkars from the Anjuna comunidade attended the meeting, disclosed President Dominic.