MPF, Incra and Duque de Caxias discuss solutions for centuries-old federal lands in Baixada

The land regularization of 13 areas available in the former Núcleo Colonial São Bento, with the majority located in Duque de Caxias, was discussed between the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra), the Institute of Lands and Cartography of Rio de Janeiro (Iterj) and members of the municipality’s Urbanization Secretariat. The meeting marks the parties’ attempt to put an end to the illegal activities that are part of daily life there.

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During the meeting, on the 16th, one of the topics discussed was the possible donation of part of the federal authority’s land to expand the limits of the municipality. The MPF established some items that cannot be missing in a project for the area, such as the consideration of environmental, socio-environmental aspects and resettlement policies, in addition to an inspection plan by Incra and the State of Rio de Janeiro — not only at the end, but during the execution of the project.

The area has been the target of real estate speculation, land grabbing and invaders, facts that motivated conversations between the parties to recover the social function of the public space, something provided for in the 1988 Federal Constitution. For some time, the MPF has been closely monitoring the situation, and has already issued recommendations, called public hearings and opened civil inquiries to investigate the progress of the negotiations.

Series of commitments

The donation of a federal area to a municipal body involves a series of commitments. Among the terms are “environmental preservation, serving the public interest and effective use of the land”. If the agreement is not fulfilled, the municipality could lose the asset, which generates social and economic costs. The city of Duque de Caxias itself, for example, already had an area reverted to Incra, the place called Campo do Bomba, after failing to implement a supply unit.

With this, the MPF asked the municipality to make clear the values ​​and sources of funding for the projects. Afterwards, the proposals must be analyzed by Iterj, which checks whether the desired areas are subject to technical agreement for land regularization.

The analysis must include Duque de Caxias’ recent request to join the Titula Brasil program — which establishes a protocol of incentives for municipalities to appropriate public lands, without Incra allocation, and promote land regularization, definitive titles for the right to housing, or economic exploitation.

“The Municipality of Duque de Caxias must also provide information on a possible slum clearance project for Jardim Gamacho, an area in which, according to information from the Urban Planning Secretariat, urbanization is not possible due to the precariousness of the occupations there, making it apparently an enclave in which there must be a reversal of occupation to the public authorities to confer dignity on the current occupants”, states the MPF.

Finally, the MPF has to contact the Union Heritage Secretariat (SPU), of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. One of its functions is to establish guidelines for the allocation of federal lands and investigate the possibility of a partnership for the sale at auction of properties provided by Incra.