Times of India: Margao: Monday, 29 September 2025.
If the demarcation of land for the kabrastan at Sonsoddo revealed that of the 30,000 sqm of land acquired, hardly 2,500 sqm would finally be available for burial purposes due to its hilly terrain, attempts by a stakeholder to obtain the land records pertaining to the case met with frustrating administrative delays. The reason The file is “not traceable”.
The saga began on June 12
when Abdulmatin Daud Carol, who has been persistently pursuing the kabrastan
matter with govt, filed an RTI application with the South Goa Planning and
Development Authority seeking information about the zoning character of the kabrastan
land at Sonsoddo and other details.
However, when he received no reply within the stipulated 30 days, Carol filed an appeal before the member secretary, the first appellate authority under the Act, who scheduled a hearing for Sep 19. While Carol attended the scheduled hearing in person, the exercise was cancelled as the public information officer (PIO) remained absent. A fresh hearing was scheduled for Sep 26.
However, this time, to Carol’s disbelief, he was informed that the file he sought remains untraceable. “The PIO said that he needs 15 days to track the file. So I was told that a fresh date will be issued after 15 days that is, once the file is traced,” Carol told TOI.
Carol’s experience with a separate RTI application filed with the department of survey and land records proved equally disappointing. The office of the inspector of survey and land records, Margao the public information officer under the RTI Act transferred Carol’s application to the counterpart office in Panaji “as the file number mentioned by the applicant does not reflect in the inventory of demarcation files maintained by this office” and “it may be available in your office...as the land demarcation was carried out on directions of the high court”.
“However, as I received no reply, I inquired with the PIO, who told me that the file is not traceable. I have now filed an appeal before the first appellate authority,” said Carol, who suspects it to be an attempt by the powers that be to hide information.
If the demarcation of land for the kabrastan at Sonsoddo revealed that of the 30,000 sqm of land acquired, hardly 2,500 sqm would finally be available for burial purposes due to its hilly terrain, attempts by a stakeholder to obtain the land records pertaining to the case met with frustrating administrative delays. The reason The file is “not traceable”.
However, when he received no reply within the stipulated 30 days, Carol filed an appeal before the member secretary, the first appellate authority under the Act, who scheduled a hearing for Sep 19. While Carol attended the scheduled hearing in person, the exercise was cancelled as the public information officer (PIO) remained absent. A fresh hearing was scheduled for Sep 26.
However, this time, to Carol’s disbelief, he was informed that the file he sought remains untraceable. “The PIO said that he needs 15 days to track the file. So I was told that a fresh date will be issued after 15 days that is, once the file is traced,” Carol told TOI.
Carol’s experience with a separate RTI application filed with the department of survey and land records proved equally disappointing. The office of the inspector of survey and land records, Margao the public information officer under the RTI Act transferred Carol’s application to the counterpart office in Panaji “as the file number mentioned by the applicant does not reflect in the inventory of demarcation files maintained by this office” and “it may be available in your office...as the land demarcation was carried out on directions of the high court”.
“However, as I received no reply, I inquired with the PIO, who told me that the file is not traceable. I have now filed an appeal before the first appellate authority,” said Carol, who suspects it to be an attempt by the powers that be to hide information.
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