PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant’s claim that the word “Bhumiputra (son of the soil)” will be dropped from the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021 is an eyewash, said Goa Forward Party president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai here on Wednesday.
Sardesai said that once a bill is passed by the state legislative assembly, no aspect of it, including the name, can be changed. Sardesai said that Sawant’s move to seek public inputs and suggestions on the bill is also hollow as there is no scope for the suggestions to be incorporated or accepted.
“There is no question of suggestions because the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021 is the property of the House. When you pass a bill and it is there only to be sent to the Governor, you cannot do any interpretation of it,” said Sardesai. “For any amendment you have to come back to the legislative assembly, which means that this is scrapped. Let him tell Goans that the bill is scrapped.”
The Bill gives the status of “Bhumiputra” to a person living in Goa for at least 30 years. Once recognised as Bhumiputra, he or she can stake claim to the ownership of their house of not more than 250 sq mt, built before April 1, 2019. The state government introduced the Bill and got it passed on the same day of the 3-day legislative assembly session, despite strong objections from the opposition.
A strong backlash forced Sawant to back track and announce that the word “Bhumiputra” would be dropped from the bill.
“The chief minister should very clearly state that he is not sending it to the governor for assent and that the bill is dead. He should clearly state that he made a mistake and that he has lost. He didn’t take suggestions from the MLAs, how can he take suggestions from people?” said Sardesai.
Sardesai said that Sawant should admit that the bill is faulty and should publicly state that the bill is being scrapped.
“We will fight the chief minister... in the assembly, outside the assembly, in the courts, outside the state in the courts, everywhere,” said Sardesai.
Referring to the decision to change the nomenclature, Sardesai said, “Why the sudden change of heart? ... You bulldozed the bill. Now, did the Centre ask you to do the changes.”
