Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has pledged firm action to curb the fraudulent practice of individuals changing their surnames to traditional Goan ones in order to illegitimately access state benefits and assimilate into the native identity.
The assurance came during a postponed Calling Attention Motion raised in the Assembly by Opposition MLAs Viresh Borkar, Altone D’Costa, and Vijai Sardesai, who accused the government of allowing Goa’s identity to be slowly eroded through systemic abuse of name-change provisions.
The MLAs alleged that individuals from outside Goa were deliberately changing surnames to Goan-sounding ones to qualify for schemes and benefits reserved for Goans.
“This is a direct threat to Goa’s demographic character and cultural heritage,” they said. “People are using legal loopholes to claim benefits and erase the distinct Goan identity,” the MLAs warned, demanding immediate government intervention.
In response, the CM Sawant cited amendments made to the Goa Change of Name and Surname Act, 1990, through laws passed in 2019 and 2022, which now impose strict eligibility conditions, including proof of birth in Goa and ancestral connection through at least one parent or grandparent born in the state.
“To prevent misuse, the 2019 amendment also introduced penal provisions under Section 3A, making illegal name or surname changes a cognizable and punishable offence. Offenders now face criminal prosecution for bypassing the legal procedure,” CM said
Further tightening the process, Sawant said that the 2022 amendments empowered Civil Judges (Junior Division) to hear applications, with District Judges designated as appellate authorities. Applications now also require witness testimony and documentation through Form ‘B’, enhancing scrutiny and judicial oversight.
The government told the House that it is committed to preventing ineligible persons from assuming Goan surnames for unlawful gain and maintained that it will further strengthen the Act if required.
However, the Opposition pressed for greater vigilance and retrospective verification of all surname changes granted in recent years, alleging that the system was still vulnerable to fraud, particularly through false affidavits and local collusion.
The debate underscored rising political and public concern over the need to protect Goa’s unique cultural and demographic identity from stealth encroachment through misuse of legal identity mechanisms.
