PANAJI
The government on Friday announced it will grant a year’s extension to enable occupants of Alvara lands to submit applications and documents to collectors for regularisation and confirmation of definitive title to their holdings.
Alvara lands are those which were allotted during the Portuguese regime in 1917 to farmers on long lease for tilling, which has the subsequent provision of land ownership.
The decision of the Government came just before an earlier six-month deadline was due to end Friday.
Alvara lands are sprawled over Sattari, Dharbandora, Pernem and Sanguem talukas. Farmers from various parts of Sattari on November 4 under the banner of Sattari Bhumiputra Samiti had demanded the withdrawal of the notification for regularisation of land grants under Alvara.
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said: “The collectors and deputy collectors have been directed to continue to accept the applications for regularisation of Alvara lands.”
He said, as per primary data, there may be a total 7,000-odd Alvara cases out of which only around 300 applications have been received so far.
He also said that the Sattari taluka alone may have around 2000 plus Alvara cases.
The applicants, who are occupying the Alvara lands, will now get more time to approach the collectors with their applications in the prescribed form.
It may be recalled that farmers have to enclose
relevant documents to substantiate that the conditions laid down in the decree No 3602 dated November 24, 1917, were complied.
“Farmers facing problems in getting old documents will now get some time to fetch these,” Khaunte said.
It may be recalled that by notifying the rule, under the Goa Land Revenue (Disposal of Government Lands) (Ninth Amendment) Rules, on May 10, the State government had made provision for receiving claims over Alvara land rights.
The collectors were given the powers to accept these applications, verify and submit a report about the claims.
The State government has classified the Alvara land claimants into two categories viz-a-viz Class-I occupants giving them the ownership rights on payment of fees and occupancy rights to Class-II occupants.
For class I category, farmer has to pay 1/20th of the market rate and for Class“II occupant has to Rs 5 per square meter. Meanwhile, Khaunte said the term of the committee under the chairmanship of former bureaucrat N D Agarwal to study land records is extended by six months and
its report is expected in February next.
“With this report we will have an exact picture of Alvara land holdings in the State,” Khaunte said.
