Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: The South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) decided to formally petition the state government to immediately revoke the newly implemented circular that imposed a significant hike in land fees.
The group claims that the introduction of these new rates, which form the foundation for calculating stamp duty and registration fees, was capricious and unfair.
Prasad Naik, the president of the SGAA, told reporters that a government committee was just formed in late September to examine and assess the current base rates. However, new rates that were five to six times higher than the previous base rate were published less than a month later. The public was neither consulted or given the chance to voice any objections to the change.
According to him, the SGAA is advocating for the government committee in charge of updating the base rates to include legal experts.
Naik emphasized that in order to make the process more open and equitable, advocates must be adequately represented on the committee.
He pointed out that the recent raise, which amounts to a four- to five-fold increase in the base rate of land, represents a significant divergence from prior changes.
The president of the SGAA concluded that “this unprecedented hike, imposed without any public consultation, is a heavy financial burden on individuals and businesses.”
“On what grounds was this steep rate hike decided?” he said, casting doubt on the openness and rationale of the dramatic rate increase. There seems to be no accountability in the process.
