Former Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro on Thursday urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to lead an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the recently enacted Major Port Authorities Act, 2021, which the opposition MLA said would render at least “10 to 12” state laws in Goa redundant.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Faleiro also said that all local grassroots bodies in the state should pass resolutions against the legislation, which Faleiro said overrides the constitutional rights of a state to legislate itself.
“I appeal to the Chief Minister and Minister of State (for Shipping Shripad Naik) if they feel they are impotent and they cannot do anything, to lead an all-party delegation to the PM and to press the need to repeal this act which will otherwise destroy Goa and this landscape,” Faleiro, a sitting Congress MLA said at the press conference.
The Act was passed in both the Houses of Parliament earlier this year and Faleiro claims that the Central legislation would make redundant a bunch of state laws, including the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, the Regional Pan, and the ODPs, Goa Municipalities Act, Goa Revenue code, etc.
“The said law must be repealed without any further delay in the interest of the state. All village panchayats, zilla panchayats, and municipalities should convene gram sabhas and special meetings and oppose draconian law which has potential to usurp powers of local bodies,” he said.