SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
In one stroke the “bhumi-putra’ act crushes other acts meant for real bhumi putras. It is no secret that the Bhumiputra Act is anti-Goan legislation to paint migrants as Goans. But in doing so it is also taking away the rights of Goans that were given through other laws in the past. The biggest anti-Goan and in fact buried in a small way near the end of the bill. Section 11 called Overriding Effect says “The provision of this Act shall affect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in another state for the time being in force.”
According to legal experts who pushed this bill knew very well that existing state laws like the Agricultural Act and the Mundkar Act which gives benefit to Goans which are in force, would stand in the way of this act which should have actually been called ‘Encroachers Act’. One senior lawyer remarked. This section totally violates the concept of property titles which were given to Goans. A Goan titleholder will be totally at the mercy of the ‘Bhumipitra Adhikarini’ a committee of government officials, especially the Mamlatdar, who is almost always a loyalist of the local MLA or Minister.
1 Migrant ‘bhumi-putras’ have layers of official protection under this act
Read the wording of Section 4(3) of the Act ‘Bhumi putra shall not be evicted from the dwelling unit occupied by him and the dwelling unit shall not be demolished during the pendency of any proceedings under this Act, save by the direction by the competent court of law” .The simple explanation of this will be that suppose there is a dispute over the claim by a so-called “bhumi-putra” over the number of years he has been in Goa, he can continue to enjoy, living in his illegal structure till a decision is made, which take years.
2 Anti-Goan acts passed and MLAs and MPs are doing nothing
The opposition had made an issue over so many issues including the passing of bills without a discussion but not a word in the Bhumi-putra bill. Even parties that have failed to get in the Assembly even once but presenting themselves as a new alternative, have not said a word in favour of genuine Goans. Perhaps they too will depend on promises of free electricity and ration to get the votes of the migrant sons of another soil, wanting to lay a claim for Goan soil.
Are parties which have never won a single seat, wanting to become ‘bhumiputras’ themselves and capture Goa by using a migrants shoulder to climb to power in Goa.
We are also waiting to hear from the South Goa MP as the majority of 20 assembly constituencies within his Lok Sabha constituency depend on migrant votes. As in the case of other bills and acts against Goa, the South Goa MP has nothing to say.
3 The govt admits that the Major Ports Bill will make other acts meaningless. Yet all parties are quiet
In response to a question by Luizinho Feleiro whether the government was aware that the Major Ports bill gives complete power to MPT over Goan land and make laws like the TCP Act, the ODP, the Municipalities and Panchayat Act and the Goa Land Revenue Code etc, the Town and Country Planning Act, the TCP minster admitted that the Major Ports Bill would make all these Acts redundant.
Goa has been sold and yet no one cares.The govt has just sent a letter and done nothing else
The government has said officially that the Major Ports Bill simply, destroys all other Goan laws and control over land. It has written a letter to the Union Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who in turn has written to his Minister of State of Shipping in June. The new minister of State happens to be the North Goa MP Shripad Naik. If the Government of Goa is serious, it should take the matter up with Naik, who is mostly in Goa and get a commitment that the centre will consider withdrawing this Act.
Has the Goa government even informally discussed this with Naik after he took over as minister? Does the Goa government consider it as a priority. Has any meeting with fixed with Shripad Naik? Have Goans been informed how serious the government is? There are not answers to any of these.
4 Now the new plan is to sell Goa by putting close people as candidates
Those political leaders who include defectors are planning to get those close to them including family to contest in a series of neighbouring seats. This is being done to jointly sell Goa. This will happen in all Tiswadi seats in and around Panjim, in Sattari and other places. This loot has to be stopped and any person or party doing this should be totally rejected.
5 Beggar gangs in Goa are not begging. They are doing as they please
The beggar mafia seems to have taken over Goan towns. They are operating in Calangute-Candolim-Baga, the heart of Panjim near the Church, in Colva circle and in Margao town among other places. They are dropped off in vans to these spots with targets set by their bosses. It is learnt that even the small kids who pass off as children of the beggar mothers are supplied by the gangs. In the evening they are rounded off and sent to where they are kept.
This is a racket that must be investigated .The beggar dons have to be identified and jailed as well as those who beg in the streets . The children of course need to be rescued.
The question is why hasn’t the police or the civic administration cracked down on them. Are they deliberately turning a blind eye due to haftas being paid, is what people are asking.
This is another case of outside forces doing what they want in Goa without a care.
