VOICE IN RAJYA SABHA
Former Goa Chief Minister who was Goa MLA for over 30 years, Mr. Luizinho Faleiro was elected to the Upper House of Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha) on …….
Here are some of the landmarks of his Rajya Sabha stint in the House of Elders. He raised vital issues concerning Goa and Goans in the Rajya Sabha.
1) Mr. Luizinho Faleiro took the oath of office in Rajya Sabha in Konkani, the Official Language of Goa and the mother tongue of Goans.
2) Mr. Faleiro took up vital issues affecting Goa and Goans. He lambasted the Governments of the day, for having undertaken major projects which having not only destroyed but devastated the economy, environment and the livelihoods of the people of Goa.
3) Another speech by Mr. Faleiro spoke of the destruction of the ecology in Goa and the assault on Federalism.
4) Mr. Faleiro raised the path-breaking issue of the establishment of a National Christian University for Goa under Articles 29 & 30 of the Constitution of India fully funded by the Government on the lines of Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University, as Goa has a substantial Christian population and it is an educational hub having majority Christian minority colleges and has just only one State University Goa in the Indian Parliament.
5) Mr. Faleiro raised the issue of lacing the staple food of Goans –fish with Formaline, which is sure to poison and killing of Goans. Fish curry and rice is the staple food of Goans. Fish which was a poor man’s food has now become a rich man’s luxury. We have 100 kms of coast and 11 inland rivers. Fish production is approximately 200 thousand metric tons per year, only 10% of this fish is available in Goan markets the balance of 90% is exported out of Goa. The fish mafia is looting Goans merchants of greed, evil, and horror is allowed to prosper at the cost of Goans. Nearly 200 trucks of fish are imported daily in Goa, laced with this poisonous formalin. The scourge of cancer will kill Goans in the long run.
6) Mr. Faleiro flagged the cataclysmic consequences of converting beautiful and serene Goa into a miserable Coal Hub. The Government has signed for the transportation of 13 million tons of coal through Goa thereby converting Goa into a Coal Hub. Goa is a national and international tourist destination and not a coal destination. Coal causes dust pollution and is a health hazard.
7) Mr. Faleiro firmly and strongly raised his voice against the three linear projects calling them the three cardinal sins of the people of Goa.
- Double tracking of the railway line from Mormugao to Karnataka.
- Expansion of National Highway to Belagavi.
- Tamar Power Transmission Project
These projects have devastated our forests and trees.
8) In terms of firmly guarding the resources and wealth of Goa, Mr. Faleiro argued for Goa’s rightful share of Mhadei water, which is being diverted to the bigger state of Karnataka. in this interstate river water dispute. Mhadei represents 60% of the lifeline of the people of Goa. We worship our rivers. The transfer of waters from the Mhadei River Basin to the Malaprabha basin in Karnataka is depriving Goans of their share of water to sustain their livelihood.
9) Mr. Faleiro highlighted in Rajya Sabha the failure of the Goa Government to restart mining which rendered 2.5 lakh people jobless. Despite directions from the Supreme Court legal and sustainable mining has not started. Additionally, the Government has failed to recover Rs. 35,000 crores of illegal mining loot.
10) The issue of brutalizing and destroying Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary which falls into the Sanctum Sanctorum of a World Heritage site protected by UNESCO, was also raised by Mr. Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha. Mollem is one of the world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of Biological Diversity, the forests are older than the Himalayas.
11) Mr. Faleiro also raised the issue of the illegal construction of villas within the protected area of St. Cajetan Church in violation of the ancient monuments and Archaeological sites and remains Act, 1958. The illegal construction falls within the Old Goa UNESCO-protected heritage precincts.
12) Mr. Faleiro also raised the critical issue of providing Special Category Status (SCS) for Goa to protect Goa’s land, identity, custom, and traditions, which is pending for the last 60 years in spite of promises made by the successive Central Governments. By denying Goa a Special Category Status, the Government of India is holding from development and societal progress. This is against the spirit of cooperative federalism.
13) The demand for Retirement Benefits, Pension Schemes, and other benefits for Seafarers and their families so that they and their families were raised by Mr. Faleiro in Rajya Sabha. If they are given pensions they and their families can live a life of self-respect and dignity.
14) Mr. Faleiro highlighted the hardships and harassment faced by the Tax Payers of Goa on account of 5A of the IT Act. 1961, resulting in higher pitched demands, penalty proceedings, and recovery of taxes under the Faceless Assessment Scheme in Goa as the backend processing system is not integrated by the Centralised Processing Centre, Bangalore. This has led to penalty of lakhs of Goans.
15) Mr. Faleiro took up the issue of the Major Ports Authority Act, 2021 which is affecting 60% of the population of Goa.
16) The issue of the alarming unemployment situation in Goa which is more than double the rate of the national average and rising steadily, was taken up by Mr. Luizinho Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha. The unemployment rate is as under:
| Age Group | Goa | All India |
|---|---|---|
| 15 to 29 years | 25.8 | 12.9 |
| 15 to 59 years | 11.1 | 14.6 |
| 15 years and above | 10.5 | 4.2 |
| All ages | 11.1 | 14.6 |
17) More importantly Mr. Faleiro has argued for the protection of Goa’s Rivers, Lakes, and Water bodies.
18) The issue of destructive fishing practices in Goa with LED lights, and bull trawling which is leading to fishermen facing difficult times due to the depletion of fish stocks in Goa, was also flagged by Mr. Faliero in the House of Elders. he demanded action to be taken against the rogue fisherman from outside.
19) Mr. Faleiro has batted for representation for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Legislative Assembly Elections.
20) Raising concerns about natural resources and their conservation, Mr. Faleiro has highlighted the pollution of rivers, river tributaries, lakes, and water bodies in Goa.
21) Overall Mr. Faleiro has also flagged the depletion of Goa’s environment.
22) The issue of employment of Goans in Central Government at Goa Airport was also raised by Mr. Faleiro in the Rajya Sabha.
23)Mr. Faleiro raised concerns about the delays in the construction of the western Bypass at Margao and Zuari Bridge on the River Zuari in Goa.
24) Focusing his attention on the revival of agriculture in Goa, Mr. Faleiro questioned whether there is any new land use policy in Goa for the promotion of agricultural activities.
25) Mr. Faleiro raised the demand for a Central Museum for Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes at his birthplace in Navelim, Goa his birthplace. Francisco Luis Gomes was known as a prince of intellectuals with liberal philosophy. He is one of the great orators, Physicians, writers, historians, economists, political scientists, and members of Parliament from Goa in Portugal. Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes has propounded the concept of National Freedom for India. Much before the popular launch of the Freedom Movement in 1857 asking to fight for liberty from the colonial rulers in India. He strove/fought for the creation of a society based on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, and all along his life campaigned against Socioeconomic injustices committed in the colonies. His name is recorded in our History and Civic Textbooks in Goa.
26) Mr. Faleiro also raised issues that touch the common man by highlighting the issue of price rise and skyrocketing petroleum products in Goa. This short is the trailblazing record of Mr. Luizinho Faleiro in his short stint in Rajya Sabha. Though Goa has been represented by many Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, none has raised so many such vital issues concerning Goa in the Indian Parliament.