Team Herald
MAPUSA: Ports Minister and Calangute Panchayat members paid floral tributes to Dr Jack Sequeira at his statue in the village to mark the Opinion Poll Day.
Lobo said that outsiders have to be stopped from settling down in Goa to protect the identity and interest of the State.
“We are here to celebrate the 53rd historic Opinion Polls day of Goa. It is because of this day, Goa has remained Goan and its culture has remained intact. There has been influx of population from other States of the country into Goa who we cannot stop from coming. However, we can tighten the laws and stop the migrants from settling down in Goa,” he said.
“An Act has to be enacted prohibiting sale of agricultural or orchard land to outsiders and outsiders can buy only settlement land, a flat or villa in Goa only if they possess minimum 25 years of domicile certificate. I’ll write to all the MLAs including the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the BJP president to enact the law. This is how we can protect the identity of Goa and interest of the State,” Lobo explained.
“We don’t want more migrants in Goa. People who are already here are enough. The CM should study this. I had put up this matter before former Advocate General Sushant Nadkarni and he said that it is possible. Even former CM late Manohar Parrikar had agreed to this. This Act cannot be challenged even in the Supreme Court, since the outsiders will be allowed to buy land, flat or villa in Goa but not agricultural or orchard land,” the minister said.
Emphasising that demographic balance of Goans and non-Goans has to be maintained, Lobo said, “Currently, there are about six lakh outsiders living in Goa and we have to call them Goans. They have 15, 20, 25 years of domicile certificates. However, now a balance has to be maintained. Otherwise, the number of outside population will rise, while original Goan population will remain as it is.”
Former Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequira also paid floral tributes.
