Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: Congress South District President Savio D’silva, Moreno Rebello and Savio Coutinho slammed the government for the unjustified steep hike in Land rates notified for assessment of stamp duty during the purchase of land in Tiswadi, Salcete and Mormugao.
Charging that this notification was a direct attempt to keep Goans away from purchasing land. Congress District President Savio D’silva charged that the government is making it more convenient for outsiders to purchase Goan land, and that’s how the non Goan builder lobby is taking over Goan land and destroying Goa.
The party demanded for the immediate roll back/de-notification of the new rates. Coutinho further called upon all Goans to rise up and oppose this move of the government.
“The government through this notification is only testing public reaction by making these monstrous rates applicable only to 3 taluka’s of Tiswadi, Salcete and Mormugao. But very soon fresh notifications will come up, making similar rates applicable to other taluka’s as well”, Coutinho cautioned.
Further, giving inputs over the new rates notified, Coutinho stated that the government has classified land as Urban, Developing, Rural and Coastal.
In the Urban areas the hike in Tiswadi(Panaji) is between a whopping 300% to 600%; In Salcete Urban areas(Margao & Cuncolim) it is between 100% in Margao to 230% in Cuncolim. In Murmugao taluka (All Municipal wards) the hike is between 375% to 695%.
For villages classified as “Developing” in Tiswadi taluka, the hike ranges from 120% in Renovadi to 600% in Bambolim. Salcete village Developing areas are tagged with a hike ranging from 80% in Navelim and Davorlim to 290% in Aquem.
And in Mormugao taluka’s “Developing” areas the hike is to the tune of an unimaginable 900% in Cortalim to 1290% in Sancoale, St. Jacinto Island and Dabolim.
For Tiswadi villages classified as Rural the hike ranges from 140% in Neura and Mercurim to 730% in Capao village. Salcete villages classified as Rural see a hike ranging between 200% to 940% in Macazana village.
For Mormugao Rural villages the hike has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels ranging between 2400% for Cuelim to 2760% for Quelossim.
While no village from Tiswadi stands classified as a Coastal area, 9 villages of Salcete come under Coastal areas. Sernabatim faces a hike of only 60%, While Betalbatim stands highest with a hike of 750%.
Just like the Rural areas of Mormugao taluka, the Coastal villages here face the steepest hike in rates from 1900% in Velsao to 2400% hike in Cansaulim.
Coutinho further explained that this huge hike in rates doesn’t limit the burden only with respect to the basic rate of Stamp duty, but with the substantial increase in the land value, the Stamp duty rate applicable gets pushed to a higher rate from 3% to 4.5%.
And considering the other outgoings in the form of registration fees, land conversion fees, construction licence/cess, Infrastructure fees etc., a person planning to build a house has to spend 10-12 lakhs much before the commencement of construction.
Congress party demanded that the government should either de-notify the land rates, or prove that they have not hiked the rates to prevent Goans from purchasing land by making the old rates applicable to Goans.
If need be the provisions in the Succession, Special Notary and Inventory Proceeding Act 2012 may be applied to define who qualified to be a Goan.
Coutinho also pointed out to the clause of the Notification which states that these revised rates would not be applicable in the case of land being acquired by the government.
Moreno Rebello stated that there are many areas where the poor people couldn’t afford to pay Stamp duty at old rates even when land was given free to them by landlord’s. They stand doomed with the present hike he added.
Savio Coutinho warned that if the government failed to de-notify the rates within 15 days, then people would be forced to come on the streets he warned.
