TThe amendment to the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964, that was passed in the last Assembly Session, has raised a lot of dust with various sections of the polity jumping in to criticize the government for passing it. A couple of the BJP MLAs have said they are opposed to the amendment with maverick St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh writing to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar asking the government to withdraw the amendments as they are against the interests of the farmers and agricultural tenants. He also brought in the caste factor saying that the Bahujan Samaj is not happy with the amendment and raised the bogey of Brahmin domination. Copies of the letter were also sent to Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, and Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar.
Not to miss an opportunity to pillory the government, and sensing that the new chief minister is still to find his feet, the Congress too jumped into the fray demanding that the government “immediately” withdraw the Agricultural Tenancy Act. Jitendra Deshprabhu said they want the amendments “repealed” and accused the BJP of “letting down the people that voted it to power”.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said the issue was discussed with all the BJP MLAs and in the Assembly all 40 MLAs were present when the Bill was passed and nobody voted against it.
The United Tribal Association Alliance also demanded that the government reconsider the amendments with its President Prakash Velip objecting to the transfer of tenancy cases to the JMFC courts. They also submitted a memorandum to Governor Mridula Sinha.
However, the government insists that the amendments will ensure that fallow land is used profitably and can be given out for contract farming.
Government officials say that farmers and owners do not give out their land because they fear that the Tenancy Act would apply and they would lose their land and so prefer to keep the land fallow. Hence, large tracts of land are either fallow or are being clandestinely developed.
A drive around the State, including within five kms of the capital, will show large buildings built on what were once fields – obviously all “legal” even though theoretically it is not possible to build anything in fields.
