The Hindu Business Line : ‘Solving long-pending land cases priority’

Mr Jose Philip D’Souza, Minister for Revenue and Civil Supplies, is the leader of the three-member legislative party of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a pre-election alliance partner of the Congress government. Mr D’Souza, who was elected from the port town of Vasco in South Goa, says as Minister for Revenue, he is determined to resolve the long-pending cases of mundkars’ ownership rights cases (under land reforms) through fast track courts.

What have been your achievements?

I am elected from a constituency like Vasco, the port city, where much remains to be done for the poor people. As Revenue Minister I have been deeply concerned about the long delay in the disposal of Cumeri cultivators’ cases. Cumeri is a traditional way of cultivation in the forest land by tribals and other backward people whose rights to their cultivable land have to be settled. There is a tedious process and over 4,000 cases which have been pending final settlement for very long. We find shortage of manpower and revenue officers for the requisite survey work and to oversee disposal of cases. To overcome this, I have decided to outsource the work of survey and demarcation to a private party after going through a proper tendering process.

Similarly I want to settle the cases of mundkars, the poor people who reside in the land of a landlord but struggle to get ownership of their dwelling house and some surrounding areas registered as per the Mundkar Act. These are also long-pending cases. I have planned to put through fast-track courts so that they are speedily decided.

My department has formulated the disaster management plan for the State. The State is developing fast and the Government has to be prepared to respond to calamities, both natural and industrial, as expeditiously as possible.

What about the Civil Supplies Department?

I have been striving hard to streamline the public distribution system (PDS) so that the poor people continue to be benefited. Thanks to Union Agriculture Minister Mr Sharad Pawar, national president of NCP, I got Goa’s PDS allocation of rice and wheat restored. I have been keeping a close watch on the quality of rice and wheat supply by some PDS shops. Immediate action is taken to ensure people do not get poor quality. Through the Department of Civil Supplies, our government has decided to extend a subsidy of Rs 5 on sugar supplied to people living below the poverty line. We intend to extend it to other categories of poor people shortly.

More Stories on : Interview | Economy | Other States

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page