Team Herald
PANJIM: Revenue Minister Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate on Tuesday introduced the landmark The Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill, 2023, in the Legislative Assembly to prevent non-Goans from purchasing agricultural land.
The Revenue Minister said the Bill seeks to stop non-Goans from purchasing the land under paddy cultivation in the State. The bill seeks to impose restrictions on the transfer of certain agricultural lands in the State so as to preserve and protect the land which is currently being used for cultivation of paddy
Monserrate said, “No person who owns or occupies or in possession of an agricultural land shall transfer such land by way of sale (including sale in execution of decree of a civil court or for recovery of areas of arrears of land revenue or for sums recoverable as areas of land revenue), gift exchange, lease or by any other mode of transport in favour of persons other than agriculturist, provided that the Collector may on an application made in a prescribed form grants permission to transfer such land to a person other than agriculturist in any of the following circumstances.”
The minister said, “Whoever purchases the land will have to apply to the District Magistrate, and will have to start cultivating paddy within a period of three years from the date of acquisition of such land and continue to carry thereon agriculture, failing which, such land shall vest in the government, upon expiry of three years from the date of abandonment or discontinuation of such activity. No person who owns or occupies or in possession of any agricultural land will be allowed to use it for any purpose other than agriculture.”
He said, “Whoever contravenes the provision of the sections by transferring the agricultural land, the transferer as well as the transferee will be punished with fine equivalent to market value of such land which will be determined as per the rates fixed by the government for such land.”
“Whoever is purchasing land under cultivation in the State will have to prove that he is an agriculturist and start cultivation within three years from the date of purchase. If he fails to start cultivation within three years then the land will vest with the government,” he reiterated.
