Team Herald
PORVORIM: Opposition lawmakers in Goa on Monday expressed varied views on the proposed ‘Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill, 2023,’ aimed at preventing non-Goans from purchasing land under paddy cultivation in the state. The objections or skepticism came before even the bill is introduced with one of them even having an imaginary objection stating that the government doesn’t bring bills in favour of the people”
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The Bill is yet to be introduced, but it has already received reactions from the legislators, with several questioning if the bill is “too little, too late”, since much of our agricultural land has already been sold.
This is the only legislation that seeks to stop agricultural land being sold or converted to non-farmers outside Goa.
Unless interests and lobbies are not interested in grabbing agricultural land for real estate projects, there cannot be skepticism to the principle of the bill while arguing for its honest implementation
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai expressed doubts about the proposed bill’s effectiveness in increasing paddy cultivation. He argued that much of the agricultural land in the state had already been sold or acquired and suggested that the government should consider enacting contract farming legislation and community farming development schemes to boost agriculture.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas raised questions about the government’s intentions and its potential effects on the common people. He suggested that the proposed legislation could be subject to corruption and that it might only benefit corporations, rather than the people.
“We want to know the intention of the government because what it is producing is with the intention of corruption. What is the effect of the Goa Mopa Airport Development Authority Bill? The government never brings bills for the common man, and the government may want to help the corporates,” Viegas said.
Meanwhile, Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, usually vocal on all issues, reserved comment stating that he would reserve comment on the proposed bill until he received a copy of the proposed legislation.
