TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Statements by Industries Minister Mahadev Naik and by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Assembly proposing amendment to the land acquisition Act notified by the UPA Central Government in 2013 has evoked condemnation.
Working President of SEZ Virodhi Manch and member of Village Groups of Goa Franky Monteiro recalled that the new amendment to the Land acquisition Act was unanimously approved by UPA Central Government to safe guard the interest of the land owners and stake holders and to pre-empt abuse by successive governments in randomly acquiring people’s land for public purposes at throw away rates.
He said it is interesting that when the BJP was in opposition, the party was always screaming hoarse against random acquisition of public lands and the meager compensation paid to stakeholders/land owners. “Now, the present BJP Government in the State suddenly seems to have developed cold feet when it is their turn to pay the land owners/stake holders their rightful dues towards land acquired as per the newly amended land acquisition Act, 2013”, he said.
Monteiro said successive governments have taken undue advantage of the age old Land Acquisition Act, 1894 by randomly acquiring private and comunidade lands for a song by citing the common clause that the land is required for public purpose of setting up Industrial Estates, etc and then distributing these lands as per their whims and fancies in the most non-transparent manner in exchange of huge monetary gratifications.
He cited instances of how successive governments acquired lakhs and lakhs of square meters of land for the Verna Industrial Estate, Keri and Sancoale over the years. “Every land acquisition done in past by governments of the day were with vested interests depriving the helpless land owners and stake holders of their valuable fields, lands and structures and paying meager compensations by overruling objections to the acquisition by merely citing that the land is being acquired for public purpose which was the root cause of the draconian Land acquisition Act, 1894”, he said.
Monteiro further said the present amendment to the Land Acquisition Act is the only best thing that has happened in the interest of Land owners/stake holders in over hundred years, while condemning attempts to bring about Amendment to the present Land acquisition Act.
