Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Government has put in place a new mechanism for government agencies seeking Comunidade properties for public works, with the 2026 rules prescribing a series of checks before such land can be granted.
The newly notified Goa Grant of Comunidade Land for Public Purpose Rules, 2026 require departments, government-owned bodies, institutions and statutory authorities to begin the process by submitting their requirement to the Administrator of Comunidade.
A project proposal will have to establish the need for the land and explain the choice of a Comunidade property. Details of the area required and the nature of the proposed public work will also have to be provided.
The applicant agency must additionally disclose the property’s status under the Regional Plan and furnish information on statutory permissions, clearances already secured or proposed, the duration for which the land is required, planned construction, expected completion schedule and administrative sanction. The terms proposed for obtaining the property will also form part of the application.
The Administrator will initially assess the request and arrange a physical verification of the property. If the proposal clears this stage, it will be referred to the concerned Comunidade.
The Comunidade will then have to take up the government request as a special matter before its General Body. Following its meeting, the Comunidade will have 30 days to convey whether it agrees to the proposed grant.
A positive decision will also require the Comunidade to determine the rent applicable to the long-term lease. The amount will be assessed by considering factors including the location and size of the property, its value and the nature of the public project for which it is being sought.
The rules specifically provide that government-notified minimum land values under the Goa Stamp (Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 2003, will be used as one of the benchmarks while fixing the lease rent.
The Comunidade’s approval, however, will not by itself complete the process.
Once its decision is received, the Administrator must send the proposal to the Director of Civil Administration within four days. The Director will examine the case and transmit it, along with recommendations, to the Revenue Department.
The ultimate decision on whether the land can be granted will remain with the State Government.
Where approval is eventually granted, the transaction will be formalised through a lease agreement between the concerned government agency and the Comunidade that owns the land.
The new framework effectively creates a step-by-step approval chain, requiring the project proposal to pass through administrative scrutiny, land inspection, Comunidade-level approval and government clearance before the public authority can take possession of the land on lease.
