Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: As promised by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his Budget 2024–2025, the State government has instructed Deputy Collectors and other relevant authorities to resolve all 5,500 applications that are still pending under the Goa Regularization of Unauthorized Construction Act, 2016 by March 2025.
According to a Revenue Department Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), an ownership dispute with a court order should be the sole reason for denial of the application; a dispute without a court order does not qualify as denial.
According to the department, incentives under the Goa Mundkars Act 1975 should be taken into account if a Mundkar has rebuilt their home on the same plinth as the original buildings.
Sandeep Gawde, the Secretary of Revenue, has also instructed the Deputy Collectors to determine how many cases are still waiting in each taluka. Then, based on the volume of cases, a monthly goal should be set to clear all of the applications by the March 2025 deadline.
Monitoring the monthly status of case disposal and reporting to the government are the responsibilities assigned to the Additional Collector-I. As erroneous denial without a hearing results in an appeal, which further delays the disposal process, the authorities are also instructed to make sure that no application is denied without giving the applicant a chance to be heard.
