Panaji: Stating that the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021 is nothing but a “competitive populism” and a new experiment of the Bharatiya Janata Party government to import huge vote banks to Goa, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Wednesday said that it has taken up the challenge to fight against this legislation in the assembly, outside the assembly and even in the court of the law.
The GFP also demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should come clear on the present status of the bill, inform the public as to whether it is withdrawn and finally apologise to the Goans for passing of the anti-Goan legislation “which appears to be a part of the national agenda of the BJP.”
Goa Forward Party president, Vijai Sardesai, addressing a press conference in the city said the particular bill has already been passed in the state legislative assembly and is presently the property of the House, waiting to be sent to the Governor for gubernatorial assent.
“Under such circumstances, how can the Chief Minister change the name of the bill or invite public suggestions for this bill,” he questioned, stating that the Executive Fiat is not allowed amendments to the legislations and the particular bill has to come back to the House for any amendment to it.
Speaking further, Sardesai said the recent announcement of the Chief Minister to reintroduce the particular bill during the winter session of the Goa legislative assembly within the next two months is “100 per cent eyewash”. He also said this announcement vindicates his statement in the House about the legislation having far-reaching consequences on the demography and sociology of Goa.
Maintaining that the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021 is Ultra vires to the Goa Town and Country Planning Act and the Goa Communidade Code, the GFP president said that when he was the minister for town and country planning, in the Manohar Parrikar government, he had introduced the Goa Tax Infrastructure (amendment) Bill 2017 to exempt real Goans from the infrastructure tax on their houses, legally built on 250 sq mt of land. “However, when the Pramod Sawant government came to power, it put the particular bill in cold storage,” he noted.
Stating that the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021 is an effort to make Goans powerless in Goa and dilute the cultural as well as traditional identity of the state, Sardesai said the legislation directly challenges Goans on their own turf, as regards their rights.
“Any non-Goan can become a Bhumiputra as per the legislation, if he is a leaseholder for two years and possesses 30-year domicile certificate,” he added, appealing to Goans about not believing the statements of the Chief Minister on the particular bill, as he is a “pathological liar”, having even lied on the floor of the House.