Months ahead of state assembly elections, Goa witnessing ‘enough is enough’ campaign against land mafia

MUMBAI: A campaign led by a 77-year-old former judge, rather than a Gen Z protest, is dominating political discourse in Goa just months ahead of the Assembly polls.

Members of the state's civil society have started an 'Enough is Enough' campaign, which is being spearheaded by a former judge of the Bombay High Court and former chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, Ferdino Rebello.

The campaign is basically a ten-point charter which the Goa civil society is asking politicians to take a stand on before the polls.


The key point is the Goa BJP-led government's use of Section 39 A to change the zoning laws in Goa, which has allowed rapid construction and what locals say is changing Goa's landscape.

"We want the government to adhere to the development plan; the entire land mafia has landed in Goa and has been using 39 A to change zoning rules that destroy Goa's massive green cover to build housing," Rebello, the convenor of the movement, told ET.

Section 39 A, under which the government has been changing zoning regulations, has gained attention. Several public meetings have been held in all talukas, with locals also donating money to sustain the campaign.

" There are a lot of common people with us, because the government steps under 39A will kill Goa. They are basically changing zones and allowing residential construction in hill slopes, no development zones, orchard areas - this is happening easily," said another activist, Claude Alvares, who is also part of the campaign.

Rebello has scotched all speculation and said that the movement is apolitical and will remain so. "We are going to ask the political parties to take a stand; ours is apolitical movement," said Alvares.