Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has admitted a petition filed by government officer and activist Kashinath Shetye challenging the state government’s ‘Mhaje Ghar’ scheme and recent amendments to the Comunidade laws.
The matter has been scheduled for hearing on November 17.
In his plea, Shetye argued that the amendments compromise the traditional rights and functions of the Comunidades and claimed that the scheme encourages illegality by legalising unauthorised constructions.
The ‘Mhaje Ghar’ scheme, introduced by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, allows for formal recognition of houses built before 1972 that do not have occupancy certificates.
Under the programme, village panchayats and municipal bodies are required to issue the certificates within seven days upon payment of a Rs 1,000 fee.
The government has stated that the move will help families access legal and financial support and facilitate future construction.
The scheme also covers shops built before 1972, while ownership rights for houses constructed before February 28, 2014, will be granted under Section 38A of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968. Eligible properties include houses on revenue land, alvara, mokaso, leasehold plots, government property, and comunidade land, for plots measuring up to 400 square metres with an additional two-metre buffer.
Chief Minister Sawant has maintained that nearly 95 per cent of Goans will benefit from various elements of the programme.
