PANAJI
Noisy scenes created by the Opposition benches did not deter the State Assembly to pass three controversial amendment Bills related to municipalities, panchayats and the land revenue code.
The Opposition benches demanded the withdrawal of The Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Goa Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2023 during the discussion on the motion for consideration of these Bills, but in vain.
The first Bill paves the way for holding the election of chairpersons and vice chairpersons of municipal councils by show of hands. While the Bill was tabled by Minister for Urban Development Vishwajit Rane, discussion on the motion for consideration of The Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 led to a heated argument between Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and the ruling dispensation.
Sardesai and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao argued the government was murdering democracy by introducing the Bill with the latter terming the amendment as a ‘ virus.’
“The CM is on the Chair for the last three years with no attempt to oust the Sanquelim Chairperson but you (Government) are changing the law to satisfy one elected MLA’s ego. You are murdering democracy and setting a bad precedent,” Sardesai said.
He accused the government of saving the Margao municipality from reducing to a minority by introducing the Bill. “We won’t allow the Bill. Place it before the Select Committee,” the Goa Forward Party (GFP) leader further demanded.
Opposing the Bill, Alemao sought to know if the government intends to character assassinate or insult the councillors by introducing an amendment to the law. He warned that if the Bill is passed in the Assembly, it “will turn into a virus and kill the democracy in the municipality. You will remain in history as murderers of democracy” and demanded withdrawal of the Bill.
Adamant to go ahead with the amendment, the minister informed the House that the government has already moved the ordinance. “Government has taken a decision and moved the ordinance,” he said. Notwithstanding chaos and protests by the Opposition, Speaker Rakesh Tawadkar held a voice vote to pass the Bill.
As to the amendment to The Goa Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Opposition argued that it attempts to take away powers of the Panchayats by passing it on to Block Development Officers.
“The amendment to Section 66 to allow BDO to decide construction permissions is grossly unlawful and untenable. The BDO is not in a position to decide on the matter pertaining to village development, sustainability, local issues or other rights of local communities including access, grazing, cultivation, water resources and environment,” Benaulim MLA Venzy Veigas said.
The amendment Bill tabled by Minister for Panchayats Mauvin Godinho explains that if the Panchayat fails to decide on an application within 30 days, the Panchayat Secretary should move the file before the BDO. The only difference, he said, is that the powers are shifted from Deputy Director to BDO.
“We have simplified the matter. Instead of approaching the Deputy Director, who due to heavy workload cannot process the matter expeditiously, we are empowering the BDOs to handle the matter. It will save the time of an applicant and fees paid to the lawyer,” the minister said amid Opposition’s demand to withdraw the amendment.
Godinho informed the House that the entire process will shortly go digital.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira countered the minister, asking if the BDOs are not overburdened. He charged the government with depriving the Village Panchayats of their powers.
Demanding withdrawal of the Bill, Sardesai alleged that government was centralizing corruption through this amendment. The Bill was passed by division of votes.
A similar situation was witnessed during the discussion on The Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was also subsequently passed by the Speaker. As per the amendment, a new ‘Section 30A’ in the said Code exempts the land used for operating and functioning of the basalt and stone crusher units from the requirement of conversion of use of land for non-agricultural purposes.
The relaxation is subject to a condition that such units pay the government revenue at the rate of Rs 100 per sq metre of land per annum for a period of ten years from the date of issuance of permission, and thereafter a 50 per cent increase.
