We all know that we are a No. 1 state in India where it comes to education, healthcare, etc. But these were not the reasons that we are fighting for special status in order to get funds from the central government for over development of a small state like ours. We are fighting for special status due to scarcity of land available. We were promised not only by our ex-chief Minister but also by the Prime Minister when he came to Goa that if we voted for a BJP government in Goa then we would get special status to control the selling of our land to outsiders.
According to the present chief minister we did get special status in the form of elevation of Mr Parrikar to the post of Union Minister of Defence of India. But what special things did he do for Goa? Most of our land is taken over by the Navy like the land opposite the Police Headquarters in Panjim, or land at the Dabolim Airport for parking. He could easily give it back to the Goans besides other land that the Navy still wants to grab for their and their families benefits. Goa to the Navy is like a holiday home for them as they try and grab the best land. If Bernard D’Costa land can be given back being the son of the soil for his projects which are of security concern, then why cannot the same be given back to the farmers in MOPA in Tuem? Are these not sons of the soil?
We are also No. 1 state to give the centre huge revenues in the form of excise duty, customs, income-tax, previously from mining, tourism, etc. So it is not a favour if we get some aid from the Centre for only infrastructure purposes like roads, water and electricity for all.
Let me further say that the centre has informed the state that we do not need special status for protecting the sale of land to outsiders. They have told the state to introduce laws and ordinances for the same. Why is the Government unwilling to so it? It is wrong to say that Goans are selling their land to outsiders.
It is actually the Government who is forcibly acquiring land from the people and giving the same to the outsiders like in Mopa, Four Seasons to build a golf course, giving all the licences for the same in the name of development. We are now getting also a red category brewery into Goa depleting our ground water resources for a consideration. Now we can see why laws are not made to safeguard our land.
Don’t blame people for selling their land which is very small as compared to land acquired which are in lakhs of sq metres that the government gives to outsiders. If the treasury is empty whose fault is it? The National parties are both sides of the same coin when it comes to corruption. The beach scam, power scam, comunidade scam in Porvorim are some of the scams that have been unearthed.
