PANAJI
The government is mulling a ban on non-Goans changing their names and surnames using state machinery. The bill also has provision for imprisonment up to three months for an illegal change in names.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday introduced the "The Change of Name and Surname (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The Bill mandates applicants seeking for the change in name and surnames to apply to the registrar of the area in which he is born.
"The registrar on receipt of application shall publish the notice on notice board in his office, gazette and two local dailies one in vernacular and one in English calling for objection, if any on the application with thirty days from the date of the notice," the bill states.
The Goa State Higher Education Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Goa Marine Fishing Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 were also taken into consideration and passed on Thursday in the Goa legislative assembly.
The Goa Marine Fishing Regulation (Amendment) Bill seeks to regulate small scale fishing in inland waters and makes registration mandatory for every person possessing a fishing net.
The bill seeks to regulate inland fishing after the central act dealing with this was repealed.
As per the bill, fishermen have to apply along with a fee to the directorate of fisheries and obtain a license to use the net.The b ill also prohibits the use of poison or explosive for fishing in inland waters.
"No person shall use any dynamite or other explosive substance, with the intent to catch or destroy fish in any waters. No person shall put any poison, lime or noxious material in any waters. The word water shall include the sea within the distance of 12 nautical miles of the sea coast," the bill states.
The bill also prohibits the use of net of mesh size less than 24 mm for catching fish and 20mm for catching prawns.
The bill also makes it mandatory to seek government permission for the erection of fishing stake and registering of fishing nets with the Directorate of fisheries. The law also has a provision to inspect a fishing vessel and even impound fishing vessels and the fish found in them.
A provision of a fine of Rs 5000 and above has been prescribed in the bill for illegal inland fishing.
The Goa State Higher Education Council (Amendment) Bill 2019 allow the council to co-opt members having expertise across fields, including persons from outside the state.
