Panaji, Jul 30 (IANS): The Goa government is persuading the Centre to accord special status to the state, on the lines of Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Law and Judiciary Ministry Francis D'Souza told the state Legislative Assembly on Monday.

"The State is making necessary efforts in the matter with the Central government," D'Souza said in a written reply tabled during the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly.

Spelling out the efforts, D'Souza said: "The resolution passed in the Goa Legislative Assembly has been forwarded to the Union Government for granting special status to Goa on the lines of Special Status granted to the State of Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand under Article 371 or any other provision of the Constitution of India".

In his response to a question from Congress legislator Jennifer Monserrate, he said: "through the special status tag, the government would be able to regularize the ownership and transfer of land, in order to conserve the limited resources available for development and to ensure that the State preserves its unique identity".

For the last few years, the demand for special status for Goa has been doing the rounds in the political and social circles in the State, which has been facing challenges stemming from rapid in-migration, shrinking land resources and a resultant dilution of identity.