MARGAO: Terming the Goa Compensation to the Project Affected Persons & Vesting of Land in the Government Bill 2017 as unconstitutional, Goans for Dabolim Only (GFDO) regretted the Governor’s decision to give her assent to the Bill, thus converting it into an Act.
‘Being the chief custodian of the Constitution in the State, it is unfortunate that the Governor gave her assent to this bill,” said Fr Eremito Rebello, who disclosed that they have made their displeasure known to the Governor in a letter addressed to her.
He questioned the need to have the Act in Goa when the Centre has already enacted a fair and acceptable right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, he said.
The Central Act, he said, makes it mandatory to have a Social Impact Assessment study undertaken of any project, which is lacking in the Goa act. Besides, the central act mandates involvement of the local self government bodies and gram sabhas in the acquisition process, which the Goa act does not promote.
Edwin Pinto pointed out Clause 4 of the Goa Act was draconian as it deems a NOC from even one co-owner of the many co-owners of the property as a go ahead for the government without any respect or care to the rights of the other co-owners.
Besides, they rejected the definition of ‘public infrastructure’ in the Goa Act whereby public infrastructure is defined as “industrial corridors or mining activities as well as infrastructural project of any statutory corporations, bodies, authorities or any other government bodies.”
GFDO also condemned the government’s response to the protests against Mopa airport and alleged that 150 police personnel are deployed there only to intimidate the locals to get their consent for the land acquisition.
“All that the people are asking is that the environment should not be damaged till the legal process pending in the courts if over,” said Fr Eremito.
