Team Herald

PANJIM:  Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte has slammed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant over the private forests issue saying appointing committees isn’t the answer to the problem.

Speaking to reporters, Khaunte said, private forest issue has been pending for a long time.  “I have been debating this issue for a long time. Government is sovereign but instead we keep complying with judicial requirements rather than making a proper decision in the interest of the common man,” he said.

Khaunte said, “There is absolutely no attempt being made to understand the problems faced by owners of small parcels of ancestral land.”

“Forming committees is not the only answer to resolve this issue. As seen earlier, Sawant and Karapurkar Committee reports had flaws. The same report being used further by succeeding committees as reference to identify land in private forests. This would hurt the common man more,” he said.

The MLA said the Chief Minister has assured the House based on his debate on the Management Policy for Private Forests.

“But yet another assurance still has to see the light of the day. Is this the real Goenkarponn the Chief Minister promised?” he asked.