18-month window proposed for regularisation of houses

PANAJI
The State government has proposed extending the window for people seeking regularisation of unauthorised dwelling houses on government and comunidade land from six months to 18 months, giving applicants an additional year to avail the benefit under the Goa Land Revenue Code.
The Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Assembly on Monday by Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate. The Bill proposes substituting the existing six-month period under Section 38A with 18 months. The government said the extension was intended to provide “reasonable time” for applicants to avail themselves of the benefits available under Section 38A.
The Bill also proposes a major administrative restructuring of the Revenue Department by allowing the government to create a common cadre of officers and subordinate employees across offices under its control. At present, Group C and Group D employees working in different Revenue Department offices are governed by separate authorities, with separate seniority lists and limited scope for movement between offices.
Under the proposed common-cadre system, the Revenue Secretary would serve as the cadre-controlling authority for seniority, transfers and promotions of specified employees, including Mamlatdars, Revenue Inspectors and Village Accountants/Talathis.
“All Group “C” and Group “D” employees of the Government of Goa working in various offices under the Revenue Department, outside Secretariat, holding similar posts, are presently governed and controlled by different authorities. Despite them belonging to the Revenue Department, their seniority is maintained separately. Also, they cannot be transferred from one office to another within the Department,” the Bill stated.
“This has resulted in administrative-related difficulties in the matter of deployment, transfer and movement of employees between different offices under the Revenue Department. There is no effective manpower management and utilisation of available human resources. The existing arrangement also creates practical difficulties in maintaining uniformity in cadre management and in providing suitable avenues for mobility,” it added further.
The Bill also seeks to validate certain appeals, orders and proceedings conducted by the Superintendent of Surveys and Land Records and repeal the Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.