PANAJI
The controversial bill sponsored by the government seeking to restrict transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists, but also provides for Collectors to make exceptions and permit transfer to individuals or industrial undertakings intending to take up agriculture was passed by a voice-vote in the Goa legislative assembly on Friday amid a ruckus raised by the Opposition which trooped to the well of the House and raised slogans.
The Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agriculture Land Bill, 2023, piloted by Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, was passed by a voice vote clause by clause even as the entire Opposition rushed to the well of the House shouting slogans over the government's refusal to accede to their demand to refer it to a select committee.
Opposition MLAs, including Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Venzy Viegas, Cruz Silva and Viresh Borkar raised objections over multiple aspects of the legislation and generally opined that it would only lead to large scale diversion of agriculture land to the ownership of industrialists and other individuals who are non-agriculturists.
Some of them argued that it would promote the culture of posh 'farmhouses' and bring in the North Indian culture into Goa on a mass scale.
"It will be an invitation for building farmhouses to the rich and famous," opined Carlos Alvares Ferreira.
Fereira also argued that the provision which permits the Collector to allow transfer of agriculture land to a person other than an agriculturists does not specify any rules or methodology for the Collector to follow to grant the transfer.
He also claimed that a section which reads "if the land is required for purpose of agriculture by industrial or commercial undertaking in connection with any industrial or commercial operations carried on by such undertaking" will permit change of land use.
Sardesai, a former agriculture minister, said this bill appeared to be designed to enable backdoor sale of agricultural land in Goa. He also said, the legislation will pose a threat to the character of Goa.
Viegas said, most agricultural land belonged to comunidades and cannot be sold but this bill and some provisions in it will open the floodgates for sale of agricultural land to cash rich industrialists and also destroy the agrarian nature of a majority of the State's land resources.
Conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes especially at the behest of North Indian real estate lobby has been a controversial subject in Goa's political narrative for decades and the government's bill to restrict sale to non-agriculturalists was initially hailed until the fine print in it revealed the exceptions permitting non-agriculturists and industrialists to buy farm land.
Large scale diversion for industrial or other more lucrative commercial uses, including housing and real estate has got promoted in the tenures of several successive governments since the early 1990s, despite a ban on conversion already inherent in existing land laws.
Land-filling of low-lying agricultural fields, clandestinely backed by politicians and a corrupt bureaucracy has been blamed by greens for the drastic decline of agriculture, particularly paddy cultivation, over the decades.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant intervened to dispel the fears expressed by the Opposition legislators, saying the law is intended to preserve agricultural land at all costs.
He refuted all allegations made by the legislators that change in land-use will be permitted by utilising sections of this legislation and insisted that the powers given to the collectors to permit transfer of land to non-agriculturists and industrial/commercial undertakings is only for the purpose of practicing agriculture.
