'Special status already in Act, RP; will needed'

Times of India: Panaji: Saturday, June 15, 2013.

Two days after a chief minister-led delegation met with the prime minister in New Delhi to push for special status for Goa, some local groups and activists are questioning the logic of the move.

Goenchea Xetkarancho Ekvott, a group representing farmers, pointed out that Goa already has the power to protect its lands if the government only has the will to implement the Tenancy Act.

"But with all the commercial land already sold and only paddy fields that cannot be sold left to sell, people with influence are converting and selling these lands. If the government can apply the Tenancy Act properly we achieve what we hope to from special status," explained the Ekvott's president Dilip Hegde.

Dramapur-based social activist Diogo Fernandes agreed. He opined that the laws in the state could be amended and made more stringent to safeguard and prevent the sale of land.

"The timing of the government pushing for special status at the Centre is suspect. It appears to be only preying on public sentiment, as, in reality, it would take the Centre at least two years to give Goa, if at all they do, special status," said Fernandes.

He felt that if the government is making such demands at the Centre it should, in Goa, release the regional plan with all the changes demanded by the locals-"the same locals in whose name the demand for special status has been made to protect the same land they want protected in the regional plan".

"By going to the central Congress government it can be the case where the state BJP government will say the onus lies with the central Congress government." said Fernandes.

Hegde stressed the need for the government to ensure Goans are not being pushed out in the name of development "like you have in Mopa, where farmers are being pushed out and one lakh outsiders are being brought in".

Antonio Lobo, convener, Movement for Special Status For Goa, said the group has sought details from the government through the Right To Information (RTI) Act on the memorandum submitted by chief minister Manohar Parrikar to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He said the group will meet after receiving the RTI replies and chart out its future course of action.