Voices raised in support of resolving issue soon
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Giving an assurance that he would come out with a proper framework to resolve the Mayem evacuee property issue by December 19, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday said that government will introduce a special Bill in the forthcoming Legislative Assembly session, likely to be held in January 2014 in this regard.
The House saw all party legislators raising their voices in support of resolving the evacuee land ownership issue in Mayem. Legislators such as Pramod Sawant, Vishnu Wagh, Anant Shet, Pratapsing Rane, Michael Lobo and Subhash Phal Dessai demanded that the issue should be resolved by December 19, as per the past assurances of the Chief Minister.
The legislators were of the opinion that government should take over the land and the same should be transferred to the villagers or comunidade.
They were speaking in support of a calling attention motion moved by Sawant, who sought to know the steps government intends to take in solving the issue of Mayem villagers, who for past 53 years are waiting for their freedom.
Responding to the same, Chief Minister said that government is currently examining the Goa Abolition of Evacuee Proprietorship Act, giving right of property to the villagers, a draft submitted by the Law Commission and the Mayem Bhu Vimanchem Nagrik Kruti Samiti.
“Though the issue is complex, government is working on some modules to resolve the issue. By December 19, we will come out with a framework and in the next assembly session we will table the bill resolving the issue,” he said.
The Government through the committee formed under the chairmanship of law commission is in constant talks with all the stakeholders for finding an amicable solution, Parrikar said.
He also pointed out that the government, in view of the difficulties faced by the people of Mayem to get the benefits of Mundkar act, had amended the Goa Administration of Evacuee Property Act for extending the benefit.
