Goa, July 20 -- The Supreme Court of India has reinforced the legal protection of agricultural land in Goa by ruling that land leased under the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964, must be used exclusively for farming and not for any non-agricultural purposes. This verdict addresses longstanding concerns about the misuse and conversion of tenanted agricultural lands for real estate or commercial projects, a problem that has threatened to erode Goa's rural character and impact the livelihoods of tenant farmers.

The court's decision clarifies that land given on tenancy for cultivation cannot be diverted for any other use. Advocate General Devidas Pangam welcomed the judgment, noting that several legal precedents have affirmed this principle...