MARGAO
Congress election manifesto vice-chairman Elvis Gomes has said that he is completely in favour of returning the unutilized government acquired agriculture fields to the farmers.
Saying that he has incorporated the party promise in the draft manifesto that agricultural lands acquired should be returned to the farmers, Elvis, however, hoped that the party will accord approval for the demand of farmers in the final manifesto.
“Yes. There have been demands about the reversion of unutilised acquired lands. There is a case to accede to the demand. I have incorporated it in the draft manifesto that agricultural lands acquired under the erstwhile land acquisition act which have not yet been utilised for the purpose for which they were acquired for a period of three years or more, should under a special policy be reverted to the owners for the specific purpose they were used for, without changing the character of the land”, Elvis said, as he hoped that the party will approve the demand in the final manifesto
Elvis was responding to a news item carried by The Goan wherein farmers from Madel-Fatorda and Rawanfond-Margao have been demanding the return of their agricultural fields which have been acquired by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) around a decade and a half ago.
These two agricultural fields, which were acquired for the proposed truck terminus and to set up a transportation centre respectively, have not been utilized for the intended purpose. On the other hand, farmers have been cultivating these fields for the last decade and a half, hoping the government would one day revert their ancestral fields to them for cultivation.
