Goa Kul Mundkar Sangharsh Samiti (GKMSS) and Goa Bahujan Samaj, both associations connected with the large section of the tenants, were demanding the agricultural tenancy cases to be returned to the concerned Mamlatdars from the Civil courts. s
Government was later forced to amend the Goa Agriculture Tenancy bill of 2014 and send the pending cases before the Mamlatdars this year.
However, GKMSS is firm on the giving justice to the tenants in the state but Goa Bahujan Samaj is silent over the issue.
GKMSS is very vocal and are still demanding the modification in the amendment despite the bill being passed in last assembly session and Governor already giving her consent.
Bhahujan Samaj President Anil Hoble said they are happy with the government’s decision for rolling back the decision and sending the tenancy cases back to Mamlatdar from the civil court.
He said that none of the tenants from Bhahujan Samaj has approached him so far and the people who are protesting may be because of their individual agenda.
However, GKMSS leader Santosh Mandrekar said that the 2017 amendment to the agricultural tenancy act is not in the interest of the tenants. He has no objection over the decision of shifting of the cases to Mamlatdar.
“We wanted the cases reverted back to the Mamlatdar but the way the government has made the amendment is not in good taste. We are demanding that the bill still needs to be amended in view to really give justice to the farmers”, he said.
He said that new amendments were made to the tenancy bill of 1964 and later in the year 1976, a provision was introduced in the Tenancy Act through the V Amendment Act 7 or the land to the tiller (Kasel Tyachi Zamin) and necessary provisions were made by putting this Act in the 9th schedule of the Constitution for safeguarding the interest of the tenants.
It may be recalled that the Goa Agricultural Tenancy (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was unanimously passed in the state assembly on August 2, paving the way for the transfer of tenancy cases back to Mamlatdars from the court of senior civil judge.
