TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Terming the Goa Special Marriage notification a “fraud”, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice which deals with Special Marriage Act, Shantaram Naik, has demanded that the Goa government immediately withdraw the notification appointing marriage officers under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Briefing the media at his residence here on Wednesday, Naik said the Goa government has illegally and fraudulently appointed marriage officers by usurping powers of the Central government.
“There ought to be a detailed probe in the Goa government’s notification appointing marriage officers under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The probe should ascertain how and in what circumstances the notification was issued as the six-line notification is a fraud played by the state government to usurp the power vested in the Union government”, he told the media.
Replying to a question, Naik said the doors of the governor will be knocked for a thorough inquiry into the notification if the Goa government decides to sweep under the carpet demand for a probe.
He said the inquiry into the notification is all the more necessary to throw light on the Goa government officers who connived for issuance of the notification. “An inquiry will also make things clear whether the notification was issued to oblige any particular person”, he added.
The Rajya Sabha MP said since there is a Portuguese law with respect to marriages and divorce in force in Goa, it is only the government of India and not the state government which can repeal the law and make any law enforced in other parts of the country applicable in Goa.
“The government of India after the Liberation of Goa in their wisdom had decided that Portuguese
law relating to inheritance, marriage and divorce applicable to Goa shall not be repealed as they are ideal laws which also come under the category of the Uniform Civil code, applicable to all communities alike. Equal share to the wife, compulsory registration of marriages are some of the essential features of these laws, which have not been repealed as they are considered as ideal laws for the society”, he added.
