PANAJI
The Goa government is set to regularise around 3,500 mundkarial houses, within 300 sq mteres within the next three months.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday assured to expedite these 3,500 mundkar cases concerning houses within the required area as per the Goa Mundkar Act.
During a live interaction with Swayampurna Mitras, Sawant stated that Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars along with their staff will dedicate Saturdays for the next three months to expeditiously dispose off the pending cases.
“There are several instances wherein mundkars are unaware that only the houses and not the land are in their name. When I reviewed the cases, I found out that 2,000 cases are pending in North Goa and 1,500 cases in South Goa. All the Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars have thus been told to expedite these cases,” he said at the Swayampurna Goa programme.
Having said this, Sawant assured that the ongoing Tenancy cases will be taken up simultaneously; however, the mundkarial cases will be prioritised.
“Over the next three months, the staff including the Deputy Collectors and Mamlatdars will be available every Saturday to dispose the cases. I also request the Swayampurna Mitras to guide the villagers to facilitate house regularisations within 300 sq metres as per the mundkar order,” the CM added.
To meet the criteria, the CM revealed that these houses should exist prior to 1970, mundkar should provide documents such as Form 1 and 14 indicating his/her name under the tenant column. The electricity or water bills should indicate mundkar's name and/or the voting cards should have the house numbers.
Thereafter, the CM said, Mamlatdars will begin the process of issuing sanads.
Last month, the South Goa Collector Asvin Chandru issued an order directing all revenue officers to begin conducting hearings into mundkarial cases every Saturday including declaration, purchase and appeals so as ensure speedy and effective disposal.
He had also asked revenue officers to submit to him a weekly progress report every Monday of the number of hearings conducted in a format which provide details such as case number, name of the parties involved, dates of hearing and current status of the cases.
The vexed issue had been brought to the fore when Mandrem MLA Jeet Arolkar raised the matter before Sawant as several litigants from his constituency had heckled him.
