Date: January 1, 2013 The Goa Su-Raj Party-GSRP and GOA ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION GROUP-GEAG hails the decision of the Goa Government not to allow mining rejects to be stored in agricultural fields. Needless to say that this must have been the policy of any responsible government elected by the people, at all times. Nevertheless, better late than never.
Goa's agriculture has seen the downfall since the promulgation of the Tenancy Act 1964 by the erstwhile MGP Government of Dayanand Bandokdar. The vibrant agricultural scene of Goa has since vanished in thin air from the time Goa's prime Agrarian Instititutions [the 'GAUMKARIES' later appelled as 'COMUNIDADES OF GOA by the erstwhile Portuguese who ruled Goa for 450 years and who preserved these Unique Goan Agrarian Institutions, realizing their worth in gold] were waylaid by this MGP government which ruled Goa for 17 years after the invasion and annexation of Goa by India in 1961, an irresponsible act, selling to gullible GOANs this vile act as LIBERATION , which infact was a blemish on the 'non-violence' promoting face of India at the United Nations level. It is saddening that the MGP government of Dayanand Bandodkar traded Goa's excellence in agriculture to vote-bank politics. The need of the hour is for the successive governments of Goa to bring back the lost glory of Goa through reviving it's agricultural potential, primarily through abolishing the Tenancy Act 1964 which allows vast amount of agricultural lands belonging to the Comunidades of Goa [which lands were tenanted] to remain fallow. Any worthwhile government that was elected to rule Goa after the so called liberation should have incorporated the clause into the Tenancy Act, 1964, whereby agricultural tenanted lands could not be left fallow on the pains of being taken over and re-allocated to those who would till the lands. This has been the code of Comunidades before the coming into being of the sad vile Tenancy Act, 1964, which has resulted in tenanted agricultural lands to be misused for building purposes by the government as well as by the tenants. It is a calamitous situation that the successive governments of GOA have allowed Goa to be utterly dependent on the agricultural produces from neighboring States, more specifically from Belgaum, Karwar and Hubli. This must stop if Goa is not to be held at ransom in times to come for it's needs of agricultural produces, which produces are unchecked and replete with dangerous to life pesticides contents which is bound to deteriorate the health and well being for Goa's population and those of the visiting tourists and other long term visitors. for Goa Su-Raj Party & Goa Environmental Action Group Sd/- Floriano Lobo [Joint] General Secretary 383A Pirazona Moira Bardez Goa- 403 507 Telefax: (0832) 2470223 Mobile: 9890470896 Email: floriano.l...@gmail.com Website: www.goasu-raj.org