Bring law to ban sale of agri land to non-Goans: BJP MLA

Goa BJP legislator Michael Lobo today favoured bringing a law to ban the sale of agricultural land to non-Goans.

His comments came after he was trolled online for his reported statement supporting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Karnataka's Lamani tribe, whose members have migrated to Goa.

Lobo, who is also the deputy speaker of the Goa Assembly, claimed he never made any such statement and maintained he was being unfairly criticised on social media.

"Time and again, I have spoken in the Assembly that we need to bring a legislation to stop the sale of agricultural and orchard land to non-Goans," Lobo told PTI.

There should be a criteria of 25-year domicile certificate, which one needs to produce in the sub-registrar's office for registering sale deed of agricultural or orchard land, he said.

Lobo said there is a lack of political will to bring a law to ban the sale of farmlands to people from outside Goa.

"The minute you pass such a legislation, everything will fall in place," said the MLA from the Calangute constituency.

Clarifying his stand on the Lamani tribe, Lobo said, "I never said I am in favour of giving ST status to anybody. They (the Lamanis) are already a Scheduled Caste in Karnataka, how can you give ST status to them in Goa?" the ruling party MLA asked.

"Being Indians, the non-Goans can buy sanad (non-agri) land. They can buy flats and bungalows (in Goa and other parts of the country)," he said.