THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Government’s move to allow registration of sale and gift deeds from any of the Registration offices in the State has come under citizens’ lens, with members of the legal fraternity saying the move will facilitate fraudsters to usurp properties of Goan landowners.
City-based lawyer, Adv Radharao Gracias has demanded a rethink on the move, saying the government’s move under the guise of ease of doing business will do more harm than good for the people of Goa.
Addressing the media, Radharao raised apprehensions that fraudsters out to usurp properties of Goan landowners will make merry with the latest government move. He said the move clearly violates the administrative structure in force, right from the village, taluka and district levels.
He said one can take note of the sale and gift deed registrations at the taluka Sub-Registrar offices on a daily basis by taking a glance at the Day Book kept in the Registrar’s office. “For instance, I hail from Majorda, and the easiest way to find out about registration of a sale deed pertaining to the village is by going to the Salcete taluka Sub-Registrar office. With the government bringing the new rule into force, I will not be able to find out who is doing registrations and from where,” he added.
Given the recent incidents of land frauds, Radharao said the latest move will only facilitate the fraudsters involved in land scams by registering a sale deed in some other taluka without the knowledge of the landowners.
Questioning the purpose behind the government’s decision, the lawyer said the rule is being brought with an ulterior motive. Making a fervent plea to the people of Goa to arise and oppose the rule, Radharao said the move will only put the people to great hardships in going to other talukas to check sale deeds and gift deeds.
Raising apprehensions over the absence of parking at the new Margao Civic and Criminal Court building under construction, the city-based lawyer has appealed to the government to expedite acquisition of the private property for vehicular parking.
He warned that there will be chaos at the South Goa District Court building at Margao if the parking issue at the adjoining Civil and Criminal Court building under construction is not resolved before the inauguration. “The new court building has a provision for just 17-18 parking slots for cars. Since the building will play host to nine Judges, we expect the parking lot to be full with the cars of the Judges. This will only raise the question of how the lawyers and litigants are expected to park their vehicles,” he questioned.
Given that the Court complex building is located near the Old Market circles, Radharao feared that the parking issue at the complex will spill over to the main road, creating traffic snarls and causing traffic jams.
