Saldanha demands special status for Goa

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-08-29
PANAJI- Former tourism minister, Mr Matanhy Saldanha at a press conference in the city on Thursday, demanded special status under Article 371 of the Constitution and also under its 5th Schedule, for protecting the state’s scarce land resources and the land under use and ownership of the Scheduled Tribes, who make up for 40 per cent of the population in order to protect their culture and identity.
He also wants a total freeze on the migrant population and the sale of land, as he feels that the state does not have the capacity to contain the influx of people from other states, due to the paucity of land, pressure on the existing infrastructure and lack of basic amenities like water, electricity, sewerage and garbage disposal sites.
“Our people are going to be on the roads as locals cannot afford to buy flats,” he charged.
Mr Saldanha further alleged that presently industries are already enjoying special status where they have the freedom to do as they like, without any benefit to local bodies like the panchayats by virtue of industrial estates being declared as notified areas and argued that mine owners and mining industries have also been enjoying special status.
Mr Saldanha has alleged that builders too are enjoying special status as lakhs of square meters of agricultural land, forest land, ST owned land and slopes are being converted by the revenue department in collaboration with the town and country planning department.
He argued that Goans are not against migrants but today the influx of people is changing the demography of the villages, outnumbering the local people and changing the cultural, social, economic and political identity of the Goan society and charged that Goa has exceeded its saturation point as far as population is concerned and argued that the recent conflicts that the state has witnessed between different communities, in Margao and other places, is a manifestation of the changing face of Goa due to the impact of the migrant influx.
He justified the special status because: Goa was not a part of the constituent assembly, when the Constitution was being farmed, the limited land resources of the state of Goa have to be protected, almost 40 per cent of the population of Goa belongs to ST, SC and OBC, who need protection, the unique culture and the social fabric of the Goan society cannot be allowed to be diluted or eliminated, the entire Goan population, irrespective of religion or caste is guided by a Common Civil Code which is responsible for the peace and harmony of the state, and this Common Civil Code is only prevailing in the state of Goa.
The official language of the state of Goa is getting eliminated as it is being overpowered by other languages due to the massive influx of population from the other states and Goa has the highest density of population per square km as compared to the other states of India due to the influx of outsiders.
Mr Saldanha said that the special status must include that no land can be sold or transferred to individuals who are not of Goan origin and must protect the age old pre-Portuguese institutions like Gaunkari or Communidades which are self sustainable.
Those who have migrated to Goa and have made Goa their home for the last twenty years have to strictly abide by the Uniform Common Civil Code, SC/ST/OBC/Dangar categories in relation to the state of Goa should be as per the Presidential order, provided the migration to Goa has taken place before 19th February 1968, which is the date of the Presidential order, notifying the categories and individuals who are not of Goan origin cannot start business in Goa, except in partnership with a local.