PANAJI
The Goa Legislative Assembly passed the Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017 declining to accede to a demand by the Opposition that the bill be referred to a select committee in order that it be studied properly.
When the bill was taken up for discussion Opposition legislators including ruling member Nilesh Cabral sought clarifications on the intentions of the government through the bill and suggested that the bill, given that it involves serious questions of land rights be deliberated in detail by a select committee.
"The bill has been comprehensively discussed and deliberated upon. We have to be unanimous, get it together. We have just rectified the 2007 bill. I ask to pass it unanimously," Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said after defending the government's stand on the bill.
He said that those who have a definitive title to the land can now claim to be Class I occupants whereas those who are not can regularise their occupancy, Khaunte said as he listed out how the audit had brought out serious irregularities in the dealing of Alvara lands by the revenue officers previously.
The stated objectives of the bill are to allow for occupants of alvara (licence) landholders to claim Occupant Class I rights of the lands that they are in possession of presently as Occupant Class II.
The history of the land goes back to the year 1917 when the Portuguese government promulgated a decree No. 3602 dated 24.11.1917 allowing allotment of lands on lease mainly for agricultural purposes. In 2007, the land revenue code was amended to provide for the regularisation of the leases and the possessors declared as occupants (Class II).
Through the latest amendment, the government, among other amendments, seeks to introduce two new sections -- 37A, 37B and 38.
Section 37A allows for the persons occupying the land under the provisions of the 1917 decree to apply before the collector, within six months of the amendments being effected (though this can be relaxed in certain cases).
The Collector will then verify the documents and and after conducting an inquiry submit his/her report to the government stating as to whether the applicant has a definitive title to the land occupied.
The Government may then after considering the report either approve or reject it and in the event the government finds that the applicant has a definitive title to the land, it may direct the collector to issue a certificate of confirmation of the definitive title to the applicant. If the application is rejected by the government, the occupant can then apply to regularise his landholding within 30 days of the rejection.
