Goan land Protection - Shantaram introduces bill

A private members bill was introduced in the Rajhya sabha on Friday July 3 2009, seeking to add article 371 to the Constitution of India, in a bid to authorise the Goa Legislature to enact a legislation to monitor and regulate the transfer of land in the state of Goa in public interest and in the interest based on grounds of duration of residence in the state, social , economic and environmental needs etc.

Also with respect to the current resources such as land, water, power, environmental aspects etc, the bill also provides to authorise the Goa Legislature to enact a suitable legislation to regulate the influx of migrants into the state. The bill also seeks to empower the Goa Legislature to enact a legislation to opt for any of the two types of panchayat for villages - intermediate and district level.

In a statement attached to the bill, Mr Naik said that the rights of citizens under the constitution should bot be so boundless that they contribute to changing the economic scenario of a smaller state like Goa particularly its villages, much to the bitterness and disadvantage of the local people which only adds to the anti-social elements which become a strong part of such uncontrolled transactions thereby proving disastrous for Goa.

While justifying the need to control the influx of migrants into Goa, Mr Shantaram Naik pointed out to the state of Goa which hardly encompassed only 3,702 sq kilometres of land with a population of around 14 lakh. Compared to this, the increase in migrant population has reached unmanageable proportions. While it is the fundamental right of every citizen of India to move freely within the territory of India, Mr Naik pointed out that it is also the fundamental right of others to live a decent life with basic amenities provide by the state.

From this viewpoint Mr Naik has argued that in order to safeguard the basic rights of Goans and non-Goans settled here for a long time, the further inflow of people into Goa needs to be regulated immediately to avoid a virtual chaotic situation in the near future.