The Goa Kul Mundkar Sangharsh Samiti has expressed concern that despite several decades since the enactment of land-to-the-tiller laws, thousands of farmers and mundkars in Goa continue to be deprived of their rightful ownership and housing benefits.
The Samiti has called for an immediate survey of agricultural lands as per the Tenancy Rules, 1967, implementation of the “land to the tiller” provision and disposal of pending tenancy and mundkarial cases within six months, in line with High Court directions.
Commemorating the landmark reform of 1976, the Samiti submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, through the Deputy Collector of Pernem, urging strict implementation of the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964 and the Mundkar (Protection from Eviction) Act, 1975.
A delegation of the Samiti also demanded the withdrawal of the Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Act, 2023, terming it detrimental to farmers and beneficial only to industrialists with vested interests.
Highlighting the plight of land losers in Pernem taluka affected by the Mopa International Greenfield Airport, the Samiti urged the government to provide permanent employment, priority in taxi services and commercial spaces within the airport to affected locals.
It also called for the rehabilitation of families whose homes were demolished and fair compensation based on current market rates, citing the Navi Mumbai International Airport model as a precedent.
The Samiti appealed to the Chief Minister to uphold the true spirit of Tiller’s Day “ ensuring that the promise of “land to the tiller” becomes a reality for Goa’s farmers and mundkars.
The delegation was led by President Daniel D’Souza, Vice-President Sanjay Barde, Convenor Deepesh Naik, Chief Spokesperson Santosh Mandrekar and members Narayan Gadekar and Suresh Talgatkar.
