Goa Blog

Mr. Shantaram Naik, Rajya Sabha Member from Goa introduced a Private Member’s Constitutional Amendment Bill on Friday in the Rajya Sabha to give State Legislatures authority to enact legislations to bring ” restrictions on transfer of land and other immoveable properties in favour of persons and other legal entities 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 State by law.” Mr. Naik’s proposed amendment seeks add item 18-A after item 18 in the State List of the constitution .

In the statement of objects and reasons Mr. Naik says, land is becoming a scarce commodity more particularly in small States. Land mafia 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 business 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 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, Mr. Naik says.

Therefore, Mr. Naik States in his statement annexed to the bill that States have to be empowered to enact appropriate legislations to bring in restrictions on transfer of land and other immoveable properties, in favour of persons or other legal entities , 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.”

Amendment Bill Introduced to Passport Act to facilitate issuing of passports
Mr. Naik also introduced a bill to amend Passport Act of 1967 to facilitate issuing of passports to Indian citizens born abroad and who have lost their passports on which they traveled to India and to provide for other related matter.

After sub-section (2)(c) of section 5 of the Act, Mr. Naik has sought to use a proviso which says,”Provided that the Passport Authority shall not refuse to issue passport to an applicant claiming to be Indian citizen without making an inquiry and without perusing documents produced by the applicant , and shall, in case the Authority is not satisfied with the documents produced by the applicant, visit the area where the applicant resides and record the statements of persons in the neighborhood of the applicant, and also, take on record evidence in the form of affidavits, if produced by the applicant, with respect to the place of birth and death of the applicant’s parents, duration of applicant’s stay in India , education ,marriage, employment and other details, before making any order regarding the application the grant of passport.”

In his statement of objects and reasons Mr. Naik states that right to obtain a passport has been recognised as a part of fundamental right which is inherent in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. He further says that a large section of people from the lower and middle income groups, who propose to go to foreign countries for employment or otherwise, specially, to visit their near and dear ones do not get proper hearing in the offices of Passport Authorities. These officers adopt a straight jacket formulate which result in harassment of the applicants seeking passports and hence he has introduced the bill.