Big story, Goencho Avaaz Party has uncovered the sinister conspiracy behind the contentious Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill (newly named as the Goa Bhumi Adhikarini Bill). The Bill was passed with such unseemly haste, that it is alleged that even the BJP Core Group was left in the dark about the existence of this Bill. After receiving startling information from distressed government insiders, Goencho Avaaz Party, in conjunction with experts and legal luminaries, conducted a close analysis of the bill. In a shocking revelation, it was discovered that it is the land sharks and not the people, who will be the actual beneficiaries of this bill. Under the guise of providing land and housing to the new “Bhumiputras,” this Bill is in reality a massive data collection exercise by the Government, to be used against the people for the benefit of the real estate lobby. Unsuspecting people who share their information with the government might in fact, be exposing themselves to victimisation by land sharks. It is alleged that the authorities intend to share this data with the real estate lobby, which is on the prowl for land that is in increasingly short supply in Goa.
Articulating the key findings of the bill, Captain Viriato Fernandes, State Convenor of Goencho Avaaz Party said: ‘’The Machiavellian machinations of the BJP party, as highlighted by this Bill, will be the final nail in the coffin of Goa. This data bank of illegalities, which will be innocently volunteered by the potential victims themselves, will certainly prove to be a convenient weapon in the arsenal of the BJP government for blackmailing and extortion purposes of both Goans as well as settlers. Corruption will increase manifold. This was clearly seen in 2017 in Zuari Nagar, Sancoale, where people were promised legalisation of their illegal structures on payment of unreceipted money. To date, despite the money having allegedly changed hands, the status quo remains unchanged, and as usual it is the people who continue to suffer. One recollects a similar fraud having been carried out in Chicalim Panchayat in 2004-2005 on the eve of the Assembly elections at the behest of Mauvin Godinho, the then Cortalim MLA. A huge number of villagers living in houses existing since decades were made to submit affidavits stating that their houses were illegal and requesting for regularization. There has been no outcome to that and in fact, the villagers are now living with a sword hanging over their heads. The late MLA Shri Matanhy Saldanha had then rightly alleged that Mauvin Godinho was fooling the people for votes.’’
‘’Now fast forward to the Bhumi Adhikarini Bill. This scam in the making was inadvertently revealed by CM Pramod Sawant, when he interrupted Mauvin Godinho during the announcement to categorically assert that giving of house numbers was only for taxation purposes and not for regularisation.’’
‘Why was the Bill deliberately couched in very loose and ambiguous terminology? Is it to enable the authorities to override any circumstantial situation that might obstruct their cold blooded pursuit of escalating the sale of Goa to favoured land sharks? Many people who have invested in properties and land, will not have recourse to any legal provisions to protect their assets. Does this Act supersede contracts entered into between landlords and tenants? I urge the people to take this Act very seriously and to understand its grave implications and dangers as it could financially ruin many and create an army of homeless people.’’
