PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday announced that the State government may either promulgate an ordinance to amend the Goa Agriculture Tenancy Act or introduce the same during the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly in July, thereby facilitating the transfer of cases back to the Mamlatdar from the civil court.
“If the entire process to amend the Tenancy Act is complete before the monsoon session then, we may do it through an ordinance, if not then during the monsoon session in July,” Parrikar told media persons.
He said the Law Department has raised some queries on the proposal sent by Revenue Department and the same is being looked into.
In August 2014, the then Parrikar government had introduced the Goa Agriculture Tenancy (Amendment) Act, transferring tenancy cases to civil courts in a bid to reduce the over 4000 pending cases. However the move was criticised by the tenants across the State.
As the government intends to withdraw the controversial amendment, it is likely to fix a time period within which the mamlatdar will have to conclude hearings in a tenancy case or else the matter would be transferred to the civil court. Government also proposes to set up fast track courts and appoint special mamlatdars to clear the cases post upcoming panchayat elections.
Parrikar said the session may be called in the third week of July. “Before summoning the session, we will have to consider the dates of President Election and also Rajya Sabha election,” he stated.
