Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Field officials of the Revenue Department, including Mamlatdars, Joint Mamlatdars, Circle Inspectors, and Talathis, attended a review meeting convened by Shri Shubham Mohan Naik, Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Ponda, to assess the progress of the “Mhaje Ghar” Yojana — the Government of Goa’s flagship housing regularisation initiative.
The meeting focused on the implementation of recent amendments to the Goa Land Revenue Code (GLRC) 1968, Legislative Diploma No. 2070 (Code of Communidade), and the Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Act, 2016, which collectively form the legal backbone of the “Mhaje Ghar” programme.
Deputy Collector Naik highlighted the reform’s intent to secure housing rights for landless Goan families who had constructed homes before February 28, 2014, and directed officials to ensure time-bound disposal of applications within six months, as required by the revised framework.
Officials were briefed on the introduction of Section 38A of the GLRC and Article 372-B of the Code of Communidade, which provide for regularisation of unauthorised houses on Government and Comunidade lands. The meeting also discussed integrating 20-Point Programme plots under the same policy umbrella to unify all housing regularisation measures.
Field staff were instructed to adhere strictly to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for inspection, verification, and reporting, while ensuring transparency and citizen facilitation. Officers were also directed to publish monthly data on applications and their disposal.
It was further clarified that no demolition action shall be taken against pre-2014 dwellings during the six-month grace period or while regularisation applications remain pending.
Deputy Collector Naik described the “Mhaje Ghar” initiative as a transformative measure combining compassion with accountability, and urged all officials to ensure prompt and transparent implementation at the grassroots level.
