Goa’s Chief Minister is demanding for the own land acquisition law in the state since according to him the land acquisition in the state is coming to standstill due to the central government’s land acquisition act. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has grieved that the development in the state is badly getting affected due to the land acquisition act. He also brought to the notice of the media as how the small state like Goa is unable to go ahead with land acquisition in due to the scarcity of land in the state.
The message has also been conveyed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that if there is no consensus over the land acquisition at the Centre, then Goa should be allowed to frame its own law so that development is not derailed further. , “Small states like Goa should be given a free hand to enact our own land acquisition law so that development doesn’t suffer,” Parsekar said. Parsekar took the example of the IIT project which has got stuck due to land acquisition law is not in the place and under such circumstances the land cannot be acquired for the project.
Informing that the development in the state has come to standstill, Parsekar said that he was not referring to mega projects but the projects like road widening, educational projects. He also pointed out that the provision in central land acquisition which forces landowners to give their consent for land acquisition is wrong. He said that he is hoping to get this issue settle to get settled soon with the support of opposition on the amendments of the land bill.
Deputy CM Francis D’souza who is also revenue minister told the media that Goa has adopted to the new land acquisition act since it was passed about a year ago and all pending land acquisition were shifted to new Act but since the rules were not been framed all the land acquisitions are put on hold at the moment, besides there is uncertainty which prevailing over the central Act and till it gets modified Goa will have to slow down on the land acquisitions.
To the question when the rules will be framed, D’souza said that there is no point in formulating the rules if the Act is going to get modified at the end, “We have to wait for the central Act. Whatever land acquisition procedures we had initiated, these are moving slowly but not in a big way. In the new Act, you can process land acquisitions by doing social impact assessment studies where projects for defence, railways, etc. are involved. These have been given exemptions. But we don’t such projects,” D’Souza said.
He brought to the notice of media that government has already started receiving the proposals from South Western Railway for land acquisition for broadening of the railway lines. “We are debating on how to go about it and public consultancy on that is ongoing. From Londa to Margao, there is no problem. But from Margao to Vasco, there are public objections especially in Cansaulim area because the local MLA says there are lots of heritage houses and other houses along the route,” D’Souza said.
According to the available sources Union ministry of Human Resources Development asked for about 300 acres of land for setting up of IIT in Goa. The government is on lookout for the government owned land for this project so that they can allot the land directly without any acquisition procedure involved into it. The sources in the office of the collectorate have revealed that there are over 20 proposals from various departments have been returned due to the deadlock. Some of the proposal includes, construction of tail escape of right bank main canal of the Tillari irrigation project in Dhargal village, Land for construction of bridge at Camurlim to Tuem, Expansion of Industrial Estate at Shiroda, construction of the Salvador do Mundo to Madel Church Bridge, Construction of Pilgao Narve distributor of Sanquelim branch of left bank main canal of Tilari irrigation project in Narao
The developments in Goa will remain pending till the land acquisition bill did not come into force at the centre but if Goa gets free hand from the centre then it will change the complete scenario. Now let’s wait and watch what happens in this case. Please do not forget to leave in your valuable comments and suggestions here.
Source: TNN
