PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today told the House the government is ready to discuss with the Opposition the problems faced by people living in evacuee property at Mayem village in the state.
"I don’t mind walking into your chamber and discussing this issue. Government wants to solve the problem. But at the same time, lets not disrupt the current process going on to give ownership to the people of Mayem who are in an evacuee property," Parsekar told Leader of Opposition, Pratapsingh Rane in the Assembly.
Rane told the House that Goa Abolition of Evacuees Properties Act 1989 has enough powers to give ownership rights to the Mayem people.
"Despite the existing Act, state government has enacted Goa Abolition of Proprietorship Act, 2014 which is aimed at benefiting few people. The recent Act has added government as occupant of the property. This will not give justice to the people of Mayem," the Leader of Opposition said.
Mayem, a village with 30,000 population located in North Goa, 20 kms away from here, has been declared as evacuee property, owned by Portuguese who settled down in Portugal after the liberation of the state in 1961.
The Chief Minister objecting to Rane's remarks questioned as to why Congress-led governments could not give ownership of the land to Mayem locals if the 1989 Act had enough powers.
"What stopped you from giving them the ownership? You were the longest serving Chief Minister and you have been in power till 2012," Parsekar said triggering a debate in the House.
Rane reiterated that government should not be included as occupant in the list of Mayem people as they have been struggling for the past several years to get ownership.