Shantaram Naik calls on PM to demand, Special Provisions, Special Category and Separate Cadre

Mr Shantaram Naik M.P today called on the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh and requested him to make special provisions for Goa by amending article 371 of the Constitution of India to empower the Goa Legislature to enact a law to regulate the land transactions in the State. In his memorandum submitted to Pm in his office at Parliament House Mr Naik says that land is becoming a scarce commodity more particularly in smaller States. Land mafias from foreign countries are landing in States like Goa with tons of money buying huge areas creating social and economic chaos. Some of the parties are potential enough to buy a whole village in a smaller State like Goa.

Persons in real estate in the country too, are resorting to similar purchases disturbing the social fabric in the State. Rights existing under the constitution should not be so unfettered so as to change economic scenario of a smaller State, particularly its villages, much to the disadvantage of the State and its people. Anti-social elements which become a part of such uncontrolled transactions are proving disastrous for a State like Goa. Therefore, States have to be empowered to enact appropriate legislations to bring in restrictions on transfer of land and other immovable properties on grounds of duration of residential requirement in the State, social and economic needs of the State, environment and public interest, as may be specified by the law.

Similarly, in the State of Goa consist of hardly 3,702 sq meters of land with a population of roughly 14 lakhs, increasing number of migrant population has reached to an unmanageable proportions. While it is the fundamental right of every citizen under Article 19 of the Constitution to move freely throughout the territory of India, it is also the fundamental right of others to live a decent life with basic amenities provided by the State. In order to safeguard the basic rights of those Goans as also non-Goans who are settled in Goa for a number of years, further inflow has to be regulated to avoid a virtual stampede in near future. Mr Naik mentioned to PM regarding the activities of Russians in the State.

SPECIAL CATEGORY

In the second memorandum Mr Naik demanded special category for the State. Mr Naik said, that at present, there are 11 states which enjoy the status of Special Category. They are: 1.Arunachal Pradesh 2.Assam 3.Meghalaya 4.Nagaland 5.Manipur 6.Tripura 7.Mizoram 8 Sikkim 9. Jammu & Kashmir 10.Himachal Pradesh 11.Uttarachal. The State of Goa has achieved a high Human Development Index and has been consistently performing well in financial parameters as well. However, the recent global recession has adversely affected the revenue collection of the State, memorandum says.

To revive the situation, the State requires fiscal stimulus in the form of higher investment for creation of infrastructure in key sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, Health, Education, and Social Sector. Since the sources of funding from the private sector have dried up due to poor liquidity, the State requests the Planning Commission to help the State to meet the gap, Mr Naik says in his memorandum. Time and again, the State of Goa had been ardently persuading the Central Government for granting 'Special Category Status' to Goa and provide enhanced financial assistance to tide over the peculiar problems faced by the State, Mr Naik says in his memorandum.

SEPARATE CADRE

Through a third memorandum Mr Naik has demanded a Special Cadre of All India Services for the State of Goa.

In his memorandum Mr Naik has said that IAS officers, who are posted in Goa, unfortunately take Goa posting as a picnic posting.

and that they come with the objective of having a short stint, most of them keeping the families in Delhi. Hence they are popularly called as brief case officers indicating thereby they come only with a brief case as they have to go back soon.

Since as regards their services controlling authority being Home Ministry, they show scant respect for the ministers in the government. These officers do not take pains to make a project success as their interest remains a short term interest. They also do not throw any big ideas for a better and effective implementation of the State Government Projects, Mr Naik says in his memorandum.

Mr Naik further says it is proper guidance and innovative ideas coming from bureaucracy that makes every project a success story. But IAS officers posted in Goa play a very limited role of disposing files routinely, without getting to much involved in any project.

Several Central Government Schemes have not been adopted or effectively implemented on account of lack of interest shown by these officers. If a programme or project is going astray they prefer to enjoy the fun from a distance;

Goa's interest would be better served by the Central Government granting a` separate All India Services Cadre to the State, Mr Naik says in his memorandum Pending the creation of Separate Cadre Mr Naik has demanded that the strength of strength of Goa segment of AGMUT cadre be increased from 12 to 22. Prime Minister assured Mr Naik to examine all his demand and do the needful.