Goa Trinamool promises to return farm land
February 5th, 2012 - 11:24 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, Feb 5 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress unveiled a populist Goa assembly election manifesto Sunday, promising stringent action against illegal mining and returning land “recklessly” acquired by government agencies.
The manifesto, which was released by the party’s state president Wilfred de Souza, claimed that the party would work towards confiscating assets and freezing bank accounts of those indulging in illegal mining.
The party also proposed to “charge-sheet illegal mining lessees/operators, involved government officials and any other individuals/entities indicted by the (M.B.) Shah Commission”, referring to the judicial commission appointed by the central government to probe illegal mining across India, including Goa.
Speaking to reporters, Wilfred de Souza said that the party’s manifesto promised to review the land acquisition cases and return land acquired from farmers by the state government for the sports city — to host the National Games (year undecided) at Pernem, 30 km from here, and the greenfield airport at Mopa, near the Maharashtra border.
“Excessive land acquired for public projects as well as for private industry by the state will be systematically documented and returned back to the original owners,” he said.
The party said that it had returned land acquired by West Bengal’s erstwhile Left Front government for special economic zone (SEZ) operators to the farmers in Singur and Nandigram within 100 days of coming to power.
“We will return the land acquired for the Mopa airport and for the sports city. The land belongs to the people. We do not need this second airport. The one airport at Dabolim is more than enough. It is being expanded already,” he said.
The party which started its Goa chapter only last month, is the first to release its election manifesto, before any other major political party.
The manifesto also promised establishment of the Lokayukta, online police complaint registration system, solid waste management mechanisms and creating a financial district in Goa on the lines of Hong Kong.
- Goa illegal mining scam worth $423 million: Trinamool Congress - Feb 15, 2012
- Farmers block officials from inspecting airport site - May 11, 2011
- Opposition to Goa airport project continues - Apr 26, 2012
- Tenders for Goa's second international airport by September - Apr 23, 2012
- Now, Goa's site for National Games illegally mined - May 01, 2012
- Illegal mining report looms large over Goa (Goa Newsletter) - Mar 17, 2012
- 'Plans to convert Goa into Hong Kong an insult' - Feb 28, 2012
- Goa Congress likens illegal mining to 'murder on the street' - Jan 23, 2012
- One arrested for illegal mining in Goa - May 02, 2012
- 40 mining companies in Goa issued notice - Apr 06, 2012
- TMC accuses Goa CM's men of burning poll material - Feb 17, 2012
- Mamata wants Hong Kong style 'financial district' in Goa - Feb 06, 2012
- Mamata's fire and bluster scorches Goa poll scene (Goa Newsletter) - Jan 11, 2012
- Leakage of Goa mining report to be raised in parliament - Nov 21, 2011
- Debt trap: Trinamool candidate in Goa in hiding - Mar 30, 2012
Tags: acquisition cases, assembly election, election manifesto, excessive land, goa assembly, judicial commission, land acquisition, lokayukta, mopa, nandigram, national games, police complaint, public projects, singur, special economic zone, sports city, state president, stringent action, trinamool congress, west bengal