Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government on Saturday withdrew its controversial May 13 circular that had revived the process of declaring 56 villages as urban areas under the Goa Land Revenue Code, following sustained opposition from village panchayats, residents and political parties across the state.
In an order issued by the Revenue Department, the government stated that the communication dated May 13, 2026, “stands withdrawn with immediate effect,” bringing to an end the exercise initiated to seek comments from the affected village panchayats.
The withdrawn circular had directed the Directorate of Panchayats to obtain the views of the 56 villages proposed to be notified as urban areas. The move had effectively revived a proposal first notified in January 2020 but withdrawn weeks later after widespread public protests.
The latest exercise triggered fresh resistance across Goa, with several gram sabhas and village panchayats passing resolutions against the proposal. Residents argued that urbanisation would erode the rural character of villages, affect agricultural land, weaken the Panchayat system and increase the tax burden on locals.
The Congress also intensified its campaign against the proposal. Party spokesperson Amit Palekar urged villagers to submit objections through their respective panchayats and said Congress block committees would take the issue to every affected village. He warned that the party would protest outside the Directorate of Panchayats if the notification was not withdrawn, alleging that the move was intended to bring villages under Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs).
In Santa Cruz, panch member Inacio Dominic Pereira and social activist Arturo D’Souza opposed the proposal to declare Calapor an urban area, calling on the government to conduct a detailed study and consult residents before taking any decision.
Residents of Chimbel also launched a campaign against the proposal, demanding that the issue be discussed at a special Gram Sabha meeting. They appealed to MLA Rudolph Fernandes to meet villagers and announced plans for a door-to-door awareness drive highlighting the possible impact of urbanisation.
The withdrawal comes after growing public pressure across several affected villages. However, while the government has scrapped the consultation process initiated in May, it has not clarified whether the larger proposal to notify the 56 villages as urban areas has been abandoned permanently.
