Khaunte for ban on sale of agriculture land to non-agriculturists

MARGAO: A Citizens Service Centre (CSC) was launched on Thursday at the south Goa collectorate in

Margao

. Speaking at the launch, revenue minister Rohan

Khaunte

said the government would prohibit the

sale of agricultural land

to

non-agriculturists

. He further said he would introduce a bill for the purpose in the upcoming session of the assembly.


Khaunte also said that CSCs will be opened in four more talukas by August 15 and in the rest of the talukas within the next 10 months. The centres will be managed and operated by Goa Electronics Limited.

Earlier, chief minister Manohar Parrikar remotely launched the CSC and delivered a message via video conferencing.

Speaking about the CSC, agriculture minister Vijai Sardesai said this was a “first step towards people-friendly governance” aimed at empowering the common man.

Sardesai expressed disapproval over what he called the “boycott” of governmentorganised events by Congress’s Salcete MLAs, wondering whether they have been forbidden from “being seen amongst us” by the Congress leadership. The absence of Congress MLAs from Salcete, barring Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, at the launch of the CSC triggered Sardesai’s outbursts. “They also failed to attend the inauguration of the renovated retail fish market recently (in Margao). This makes me wonder if the Congress party has suddenly gone vegetarian?” Sardesai said in jest.

In another jibe at the Congress, Sardesai said the launch of the first CSC in Salcete marked the commencement of “Mission Salcete” of the BJP-led government and that it was bound to succeed. Congress’ South Goa district president Joe Dias had, on Wednesday, termed Sardesai’s Goa Forward Party as the BJP’s B-team as “the BJP cannot get votes in Salcete” with the failure of its “Salcete Mission.” Also present were Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, IT secretary Ameya Abhyankar and South Goa collector Anjali Sehrawat