Team Goemkarponn
MORMUGAO: Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar on Monday hailed Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s “Mhaje Ghar” initiative to regularise houses built on government land, calling it a historic and golden gift that will transform the lives of thousands of Goan families.
Addressing the media, Amonkar said the decision would have a maximum impact in Mormugao, where nearly 90% of homes are on government land. “This is a blessing that has come after my 17 years of continuous efforts to save houses from demolitions. It is the biggest gift the CM has given to the people of Mormugao,” he said.
He stressed that while several constituency issues were taken up in the Assembly, including landslides, Mormugao Port Trust harassment, sewage, tourism, and fishermen-related problems, the regularisation of houses remained the most crucial. “I thank the CM Dr Pramod Sawant profusely on behalf of the residents and the BJP Mandal for this initiative,” he said.
Amonkar explained the far-reaching impact of the scheme. “This is a big golden gift and a historic decision where houses on government land will be regularised. Almost 90% of houses in Mormugao are owned by Goans who came from different parts of the state and settled here over the last 70 to 100 years. They faced immense hardships because their names were not on these houses and they did not have Sanad for so many years. These houses always had the stamp of illegality, but now they will be legalised. Their hardships will end, and their houses will finally be in their names. This is a decision people never even imagined the government would take,” he said.
Reacting to criticism from the opposition, Amonkar said there was no truth to claims that the scheme would benefit a non-Goan builder lobby. “The opposition is unnecessarily trying to misguide people. There is no builder lobby in the Sada area. These rights are only for houses constructed before 2014 will be covered. Houses built after 2014 may not even get the benefit of this scheme. I am confident that all houses in Mormugao constituency have been built before 2014, so they will all benefit,” he said.
He reiterated that when almost all the houses in the constituency are owned by Goans, “the question of this scheme benefiting non-Goans does not arise.”
