BJP not for ban on sale of agricultural land to foreigners

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-01-31
PANAJI- The leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party does not support a blanket ban on the sale of agricultural land in Goa to foreigners, or to be more specific, such ban on any land in the state as proposed by the government, but would support a ceiling or some regulation on such transactions. “The BJP is of the opinion that unregulated sale of land in Goa should be curbed,” he added.
The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat had informed about drafting of a bill banning sale of agricultural land in Goa to foreigners, to be later presented in the House.
Addressing a press conference in his assembly complex chamber, Mr Parrikar said the BJP would bring up this issue in the forthcoming session of the state legislative assembly, scheduled to begin on February 2.
Mr Parrikar stressed on the need to define well the term ‘agricultural land’ in the proposed bill, including the status of the Khajan lands, orchard lands, pastures and so on, as also the land used for growing crops as well as the cultivable fallow land. “Furthermore, consultation with legal counsel should be undertaken so as to understand the legal position about such land, lest the agricultural land would be sold through their conversions,” he predicted.
The opposition leader pointed out that sometimes the government undertakes indirect sale of land, agricultural or otherwise, as is the case of the land selected to set up Sports City in Dhargal.
“However, even if the government enacts a legislation bringing control over sale of agricultural land in Goa to foreigners, the BJP will continue with its demand for a special status to Goa,” Mr Parrikar said, adding that the government, before approaching the Centre with this demand for the second time, must hold a debate on the issue as participated by all the stakeholders including local MPs, state MLAs, experts and so on.
“The special status for Goa is a must as it, and only it can prevent the demographic changes in Goa due to population migration, besides maintaining the identity of the state,” he mentioned, pointing out, “Or else, the population migration and the accompanying artificial electoral changes as witnessed in Mumbai and its suburbs, would create major problems for us.”
He came out against the failure of the government on various fronts, as visible from the recent differences between the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister, Mr Joaquim Alemao over the issue of Sonsoddo garbage site, and the ignorance of the Chief Minister about the appointment of the Social Welfare Minister, Mr Ramakrishna Dhavalikar as the chairperson of the state ST Commission. “The Chief Minister is lacking the capacity to put down his foot over various issues of state importance,” he observed.
Replying to a question as regards the selection of Mr Narendra Sawaikar as the South Goa candidate of the BJP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Mr Parrikar said that his own reluctance for becoming party’s South Goa candidate for the LS election was respected by the top leadership of the BJP.
“This shows that the views of the local leadership of the BJP have respect at the national level, as against the Congress party high command, which takes all decisions for its state party unit as well as its state government,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the BJP, at the meeting of the business advisory committee of the House, held on Friday to chalk out the programmes for the forthcoming assembly session, suggested that the timings of the assembly session beginning on February 2, be extended and made from 11.30 a.m. to 7 p.m., as there are only three-and-a-half effective working days, during the session. Assembly sources informed that the suggestion was taken positively by the Speaker of the legislative assembly, Mr Pratapsingh Rane. The BJP also suggested that the budget session of the assembly be extended to at least seven to eight days, while the monsoon session of the assembly be planned for a minimum of 18 working days, including 15 days for discussion on the budget