Legal agreement mooted with owners to protect agri land

PANAJI
In a bid to safeguard the existing 145,000 hectares of agricultural land from the increasing urbanisation pressure, the Goa government has proposed to develop ‘Conservation Easement’ – a legal agreement with the land owners or farmers – to permanently protect agricultural lands from conversion to non-agricultural uses. State also intends to introduce penal action against unauthorised land conversions or illegal encroachments on agriculture lands.

The State government on Tuesday launched its ambitious ‘State Amritkal Agriculture Policy 2025’, which speaks about reviewing the existing relevant and applicable State Acts to eliminate outdated provisions hindering agricultural productivity, land use efficiency, and fair tenancy practices.

The government has decided to rope in the State Law Commission to draft a consultation paper for legislative reforms governing agricultural aspects and land related matters about agriculture so as to realise new dimensions of policy making vis a vis changing times and evolving situations.

According to the policy, as urbanisation had led tremendous pressure on the agriculture land there is need to prevent the diversion of fertile lands for urbanisation, especially outside the cities with more focus on village areas and for which implementation of stringent land use regulations and zoning laws to protect agricultural lands from non-agricultural development is required.

For this, the government has proposed to develop land trust programmes or conservation easements to permanently protect agricultural lands from conversion and financial incentives or tax breaks for landowners who voluntarily commit to preserving their agricultural lands for farming purposes.

The policy also speaks about establishment of green belts or buffer zones around urban areas to serve as a protective barrier against encroachment into agricultural areas, incentivising the conversion of non-arable or marginal lands for urban development while preserving prime agricultural lands and promotion of compact urban development and infill projects to maximise land efficiency and minimise sprawl onto agricultural lands.

As per the policy, the government intends to repeal the redundant sections in State laws applicable to agriculture to streamline legislation and reduce overlaps and conflicts.

“An exhaustive review will identify and remove obsolete sections, ensuring the legal framework remains relevant and effective,” the policy stated, adding that a Legislative Review Committee will be established to oversee this process, comprising legal experts, agricultural economists, farmer representatives, and government officials.

“To ensure the effective implementation of these legislative reforms and to provide ongoing support to the agricultural sector, we will establish a dedicated Agricultural Legislative Monitoring Committee. This committee will oversee the implementation of reforms, address legal challenges, and ensure accountability and effectiveness in the agricultural legislative framework,” the policy added.