Goa's Land Protection Bill: A Call for Action from Justice Rebello
PANAJI
Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice (Retd) Ferdino Rebello, has intensified the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement by presenting a draft bill to protect Goa’s agricultural land. The proposed legislation, titled the Goa Protection of Agriculture Lands Act, 2026, has been submitted to leaders of six political parties and three independent MLAs, urging its introduction in the upcoming Budget session of the Assembly.
The draft bill seeks strict curbs on land use and construction outside the 526.31 sq km settlement zone notified in the Regional Plan 2021. It proposes halting further permissions for hill cutting and slope development, while nullifying approvals already granted in violation of planning norms. Rebello, who initiated and heads the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign, said the initiative is aimed at safeguarding Goa’s fragile ecology and ensuring that agricultural land is not sacrificed for indiscriminate real estate projects.
Letters enclosing the draft bill were delivered to BJP president Damodar Naik, Congress president Amit Patkar, and AAP chief Valmiki Naik, among others. The movement has gained traction in recent weeks, with support from former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and former Supreme Court judge Abhay Oka. Both jurists described the campaign as people-centric, stressing that development must serve Goans while preserving culture and ecology.
The draft bill comes against the backdrop of growing public concern over rampant real estate development and reckless conversion of large tracts of land by the TCP department. Activists argue that unchecked construction is eroding Goa’s agricultural base and the proposed law seeks to make agricultural land inviolate, except for essential public projects vetted through transparent processes.
Political parties and their MLAs are now under pressure to take a stand even as the ‘Enough is Enough’ movement has warned that failure to act will be seen as complicity in the destruction of Goa’s environment. With the Budget session approaching, the draft bill has placed legislators of all hues on notice, setting the stage for a heated debate on land use and development in the State.
