Camilo D’Souza
The Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act (V Amendment) of 1976 which was introduced by the then Goa government as part of its reforms to protect the interest of tenants, has caused grave injustice to original agricultural landowners who had planted and nurtured the plantations.
Due to old age of the land owners and aftermath of Goa’s liberation in 1961, the care-takers took advantage of the situation and entered their names in Survey records as tenants. Payment of fruits, were shown as rent.
The old system was to auction fruits every year wherein labourers (mundkars) staying free of cost on the same land were paid by way of (kind) produce or cash for their labour. Labourers who supervised or were given verbal caretakership and was put incharge of selling stored fruits, claimed tenancy and the mamlatdars and collectors started declaring them tenants (deemed purchasers) at a throw away price for cashew plantations, orchards, arecanut plantation, etc.
These lands do not come under tilling and Land to the Tiller Act and must be excluded on such lands which, was passed by the then regime of Indira Gandhi Congress and its allies and also the local parties ruling Goa. The Goa Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act (V Amendment) 1976, must be replaced within the framework of Land Acquisition Act of 2013.
Fruits like cashew are distilled and known as cashew fruit and coconut toddy is converted into coconut feni, which is exported, cashew seeds and mangoes are also exported and it is not a basic food of Goa. Such lands should not be termed as tenanted lands, without any benefit to the land owner, who is the initial investor who had kept labourers on his land and they are made mundkars, who are entitled lands for a cost of Rs 3 per sqmt, by the mamlatdars. The land is not cultivated like rice, fields and so, Land to the Tiller must not be applied. Only Land Acquisition Act of 2013 should be applied to such lands.
I am against socialistic ideas of the communal parties and the Congress, which has ruined Goa, because of its wrong policies and Robin Hood style of policies instead of making progress and upliftment of the poor by giving best education and opportunities with good infrastructure development, food security bills. Agricultural Tenancy Act, Land Acquisition Act, may not help the poor and our country to develop in all fields. Co-operative movement in Gujarat has uplifted the State in many fields like the Milk Dairy, etc. The country will progress without corruption and giving the people ocean of opportunity by good education. There are several owners unnecessarily embroiled in legal cases which is also a burden on the judiciary.
