Open challenge to CM to prove Mhaje Ghar law will benefit constructions on tenanted agricultural lands:
Mapusa: Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira on Saturday set out a challenge to the Chief Minister, Revenue Minister or anyone in Government to explain how the mhaje Ghar scheme can be of benefit to those whose houses lie on agricultural tenancy land.
Addressing the public via a video, Adv Carlos spoke of a case of people from the village of Bastora, who had come to him seeking his help in filing applications under the Mhaje Ghar scheme in Survey No 99/4 of Bastora village.
Upon checking, he found that the lands on which the houses were built was agricultural tenanted land, which the new law has a specific provision barring the competent authority from entertaining applications for regularisation of such encroachments.
“As per this law, lands which are agricultural tenanted lands cannot be regularised. Section 372 B says that “ the authorised officer shall not entertain any application… if the land upon which such dwelling house has been unauthorisedly constructed falls within the limits of agricultural land held by a tenant under the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act 1964,” Adv Carlos explained.
“Their structures are on comunidade land and falling in 99/4 and that there are tenants of the land. They asked me what was to be done. This is a plot of land which is more than 1-lakh square metres, which means there must be a lot of houses there. The law says that the officer must not entertain an application. In law there are two terms — consider and entertain. Shall not entertain means he will not even accept your application. Consider means that he can accept the application and will later take a decision about it. With this, it means that their fears have come true. These people are now in trouble,” Adv Carlos said.
“You will remember when the Chief Minister had come to Nachinola to distribute the Mhaje Ghar forms, he gave a big speech to say that we, the opposition, were unwilling to help the people as if to say, only the government and its people were there for the people and the opposition was just opposing for the sake of it. I had said on the stage that we were not opposing regularisation but that the law was not proper. And I reiterate it now. Let the chief minister explain to us and to the people, how this law that you have brought is proper?” he also said.
“Let the Chief Minister give an explanation, let the Revenue Minister give an explanation. You can ask anyone who can read English to tell what the law says and explain to the people whether it gives relief to people whose houses are on agricultural tenancy land,” Adv Carlos said.
“Let the Chief Minister, who was going about claiming that his government has done this and that, now explain what really is going on,” he also said.
He called on the people to question BJP leaders when they come to your house for an explanation. “If you don’t do so, and you don’t throw them out, they will soon throw you out, demolish your houses and give the land to somebody else,” Adv Carlos also said.
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