LAND scams are rampant in Goa with allegations of the Town & Country Planning Department assisting some ministers and their kith and kin to convert agricultural land to commercial or residential plots. Amid this rampant land conversion, the Goa government started its much-awaited Goa State Amritkal Agriculture Policy 2025 that proposes to ban conversion of agricultural land, including khazan, kher and morod fields.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik launched this policy that also speaks about protecting Goa’s valuable agricultural heritage, apart from introducing climate-resilient farming practices to protect agriculture from the effect of climate change.
For those laypersons who are unaware, the backbone of Goa’s economy is (1) Mining (2) Tourism (3) Agriculture around which all the rest of the ills or development occurs. The casinos which contributed perhaps a few hundred crore to the Goan economy in the last few years are a spin-off from tourism. Goa and Sikkim are the only two states where gambling is allowed. So, domestic and foreign tourists flock to the casinos where they are greeted with winsome girls, wearing winsome smiles and offering them a “welcome drink.”

MINING SPIN-OFF
MINE owners own the media, the sports clubs and the colleges in Goa. So, the media and the education sector which has got a boost in Goa is again a spin-off from mining. Were it not for the several crore rupees from the mining sector, there would not have been a mushrooming of colleges offering everything from engineering to management to nursing,
To return to the new agricultural policy, highlighting its key features, with a vision of ten long years, Pramod Sawant says the new policy focuses on promoting organic farming, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, and urban agriculture. It also encourages the cultivation of cash crops such as mango, cashew and exotic fruits like avocado, rambutan, pomelo and grapefruit, with subsidies to support farmers in adopting these high-value crops.
Sawant said the policy outlines important measures for farmer welfare, including establishing a Farmer Welfare Fund Board and a distressed Farmers’ Welfare Fund. It also seeks to raise the Kisan Credit Card limit for Goa’s 52,000 farmers, ensuring better financial support. Additionally, it proposes enacting the New Goa Farmers Welfare Act to provide guaranteed livelihood security and sustainable farming practices.
Details were not available as to how many farmers have made the krishi card which enables them to get subsidies while buying farm equipment to plough their fields. Unlike the rest of India, farmers in Goa are comparatively better off. But the monsoon does play havoc here as well so farming is not a full-time occupation for a large number of those who call themselves farmers.

WATER CONSERVATION
A STRONG focus has been placed on sustainability, stressing on renewable energy in agriculture, agro-tourism and water conservation. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government plans to restore degraded agricultural landscapes and implement strict regulations on irrigation wells used for commercial purposes. Furthermore, traditional water conservation systems will be revived to improve irrigation efficiency.
Innovation and research are key components of the policy, with collaborations planned between national and international institutions to introduce cutting-edge agricultural practices in Goa. The policy also includes measures to introduce agriculture into school curriculums, establish farmer information centres, and launch skill development programs for farm workers.
To encourage agro-tourism, the policy permits farmers with at least 4,000 square meters of land, to participate in the initiative, with designated zones ensuring organized growth in this sector. Demonstration farms and farmer field schools will be established across the state.
Recognizing the role of women and youth in agriculture, the policy introduces targeted incentives and programs to boost their participation in farming. Economic empowerment initiatives include strengthening supply chains, reducing post-harvest losses, and introducing innovative financing models such as micro-financing and crowd funding for agricultural entrepreneurs.
Two top dignitaries of the state were involved in land scams and had to be shunted out last year. The first was DGP Jaspal Singh, who allegedly tried to help the wife of a colleague from RAW, so that the house of a tenant was demolished in Assagao.
The Ministry of Home Affairs order came three days before the earlier Goa assembly session, during which the Opposition legislators were going to table the controversy surrounding the Assagao house demolition. Singh’s involvement in protecting absconding accused Pooja Sharma was expected to be raised during the discussion. But by transferring him, the problem was solved.
Suspended Anjuna Police Inspector Prashal Desai’s statement to the former Chief Secretary Puneet Goel exposed DGP Singh’s pressure tactics to alter the case in Sharma’s favour. Desai accused Singh of repeatedly calling him to “help them (Sharma and company)” and directing the Anjuna police not to stop the demolition.
Desai had further alleged that the outgoing DGP was biased towards the accused claiming that Sharma owned the property and that no cognizable offense was made out in the complaint by Prinsha Agarwadekar. Singh also allegedly threatened to frame Desai in a fake NDPS case, stating that if transferred from Goa, he would book an NDPS case and falsely record statements implicating the PI.
Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel who was seen as an affable officer, was himself transferred after he bought 1,875 square metres of land in Aldona village where allegedly an illegal bungalow was built. Allegedly Goel himself signed the file converting the land, which was why the high court issued notices to him and others in a PIL challenging the purchase for Rs2.60 crore, after it was converted from the orchard zone to the settlement zone. Goel reportedly made jottings on the file of the property which he himself had bought.

NEW POLICY
SO, land in Goa is worth more than gold and this new policy, to protect Goa’s agricultural land, may act as a block to unscrupulous large-scale conversion of agricultural and orchard land to settlement zone — where ugly matchbox buildings proliferate. How far present Chief Secretary Dr V Candavelou will implement this policy remains to be seen.