Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Goa government has confirmed that six Non-Resident Goans (NRGs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have fallen victim to illegal or fraudulent sales of their ancestral properties in the state over the past five years.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted in June 2022 to probe complaints and FIRs related to illegal land transfers and land grabbing through forged documents.
Sawant informed that, pending new legislation, the state has designated special district-level courts in Panaji and Margao to deal exclusively with land grabbing cases for faster disposal.
On issues faced by Goans born in former Portuguese territories regarding passport revocation and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) eligibility, the Chief Minister said the matter was taken up with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA, in April 2024, decided to accept ‘Revocation Certificates’ as an alternative to surrender certificates for those affected.
The state has also established an International Cooperation Unit (ICU) in August 2024 as a nodal body to coordinate with the MEA and Indian missions abroad, aimed at enhancing diaspora engagement, facilitating investment, protecting
