MARGAO
Constitutional Lawyer, Adv Cleofato Almeida Coutinho has said the failed Goa Bhumiputra bill passed by the Goa assembly has created an unnecessary hatred in society.
At a time when Goa’s political and social landscape places great importance on the identity of Goa and Goans, he said the Bill has fired hatred of the locals against the migrant population which is increasing with the urbanisation of the city state of Goa.
Delivering a talk organised by National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, Goa unit in the city here on Friday, the city-based lawyer stated that the Bill has brought in fear among Goans they would lose their land and the tenements. “In villages, locals have started vacating migrant labourers with a fear of losing their land and tenements,” he said.
Adv Cleofato claimed that the pre-election bill bulldozed in the House with an intention of creating hope amongst the migrant labour force has created a backlash with the misuse of the word Bhumiputra which the original inhabitants who lived for generations has taken as an insult due to the very definition of the Bhumiputra which requires only 30 years of residence.
He was of the view that the badly drafted bill is a set back to the real estate industry as people would not opt for building or buying apartments for the purpose of letting out with the fear of losing them and that may lead to more shanties and more slums in the suburban areas and also villages of Goa.
Speaking further, Coutinho said that shelter is a basic human need and that burden must be taken by the State in providing housing for the migrant labour, EWS section and lower income groups through proper schemes.
He was critical of the Town and Country Planning law and the industrial development law including the setting up of industrial estate where private industry is encouraged with no place for workers, poor and the migrants. He said that urbanisation is not the problem. One problem is poverty and the other problem is State planning.
He said that there is a conflict over the scarce land resource and government must come out with proposals that help native Goans get proper housing.
He said the migrant labours must be taken care of with proper housing facility at the industrial estate or that should be the responsibility of the industry and/or the labour contractors for which planning laws and labour laws must be redesigned.
