MARGAO
A special gram sabha of Assolna Village Panchayat has demanded that the government withdraw or scrap the controversial Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021 in to-to, saying the Bill is gross injustice towards the indigenous communities, who fought and have protected this land over the years.
Sarpanch Xavier Almeida said the Bill passed in the recently concluded monsoon session of the State legislative which is a sensitive issue as far as indigenous people of Assolna village are concerned.
He said the villagers have strongly object to this unwarranted Bill as it will affect the efforts of the committee to protect and preserve for sustainable development for the future generation to come.
The panchayat has sent the resolutions adopted by the special gram sabha to the government for action.
Saying the Bill is gross injustice to the indigenous communities, the resolution stated the Bill should be put out in public domain for effective implementation of the Bill so as to enable its scrutiny and enable the villagers to file effective objections.
More ever, the gram sabha said that instead of introducing this Bill, the government should devise a more effective mechanism in disposing off the applications under the Mundkar Act, Code of Comunidades, The Indian Forest (Goa Amendment) Act, 1988 and the Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Act 2016.
The Bill seeks to carve out a section of people and grant benefits to them at the cost of others i.e. the true Goans (actual Bhumiputras), which true Goans stand only to lose.
The gram sabha further said changing or altering the name to Bhumi makes no difference if the intent of the Bill remains the same and is not changed and hence has demanded its total scrapping or withdrawal.
