the goan I network
PANAJI
After the Congress last month, it was the turn of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday to slam the government for trying to sell Alvara lands in Goa through an amendment in the Land Revenue Code (LRC).
AAP leader Sidharth Karapurkar attacked what he called the ‘sinister design’ of greedy ministers to sell chunks of land in Goa through the amendment in the LRC, 2017. He explained that the amendment allowed for determination of ‘definitive title’ and regularisation of encroachments on Alvara lands in the state, which were originally meant for agriculture.
Further, Uday Barve, AAP coordinator and resident of Valpoi, said, “The government has created a situation which forces people who possess land, to buy the same again from the government.”
Barve voiced out that people in Sattari were disturbed with having to prove a ‘definitive title’ before the collector and the government within a period of six months. “We demand the appointment of a judicial commission to go into the Alvara land issue before the government does anything in this regard,” said Barve, expressing that it was unbelievable that Goans were made to buy their own lands.
Sidharth Karapurkar alleged that IT Minister Rohan Khaunte was taking advantage of his Revenue Ministry to allow the usurpation of alvara lands in the name of development.
Alvara Lands were granted by the Portuguese government to Goa by a decree in the year 1917, for the sole purpose of agriculture. However, the amendment to the LRC in 2017, allows for the sale of these lands to non-agriculturists and non-Goans.
In October, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco had demanded that the government make clear on white paper who exactly had bought the Alvara lands, and for what purpose, pointing out that the LRC 2017 was silent about the original purpose of the land grant. However, the government has not been forthcoming with the documents which were demanded.
