MARGAO
The Goa State Urban Development Agency’s (GSUDA) ongoing door-to-door property tax assessment survey has sparked controversy in the commercial capital, after NGO Citizens for Democracy raised concerns about the propriety of a private agency collecting extensive personal information from the public ” including Aadhaar, PAN, and voter ID details.
The NGO questioned whether there were adequate safeguards to prevent misuse of such sensitive data collected from household and shop owners.
GSUDA officials, however, clarified that citizens are not required to submit personal identification documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, or election cards. They further stated that the data collection format has been revised after the survey was being carried out in the Mormugao Municipal area.
A delegation from Citizens for Democracy, comprising retired bureaucrat Elvis Gomes, Yogesh Nagvenkar, Orlando and Melvyn Fernandes, visited the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to seek clarity on the matter from Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar.
Elvis Gomes, who previously served as Director of Municipal Administration and Member Secretary of GSUDA, questioned the legality and necessity of collecting personal identifiers, pointing out that even under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, such details are protected and often denied to applicants.
“Members of Citizens for Democracy came to seek assurance from the MMC Chief Officer that the personal data collected by the private agency on behalf of GSUDA will not be misused for vested interests,” said Gomes.
He clarified that the NGO does not oppose the property assessment survey itself, but is concerned about the extent of personal information sought and the lack of clarity on data protection measures.
“The detailed information provided by citizens is ending up in private hands. Where is the guarantee that these details will not be misused?” Gomes questioned.
He also drew attention to the legal distinction between the two bodies, noting that while the Margao Municipal Council is a constitutional entity, GSUDA is merely a society registered under the Societies Registration Act.
“Just because GSUDA is conducting the survey does not mean the private agency cannot misuse the data,” he said, adding that the recently enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act should apply to such exercises.
Gomes further demanded transparency regarding the agreement between GSUDA and M/s Kolbro Group Pvt Ltd, the agency conducting the survey, and whether adequate provisions have been made to protect citizens’ personal information.
“People must not fall prey to vested interests in the future. We want to know if the citizens’ data is protected under the terms of this agreement,” he asserted.
New survey form omits personal identification details: GSUDA
MARGAO: Officials of the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) have claimed that the department has come up with a new format which had done away with details such as Aadhaar, PAN card, voting card, etc.
A GSUDA official explained that a new format has been issued to the citizens and property owners which find no mention of Aadhaar, PAN, voting card, etc. “After questions were raised to the survey in Mormugao and other places, certain items were removed from the assessment survey, including Aadhaar, PAN, voting card, etc,” he said.
In fact, the officer pointed out that the agency has been told not to force citizens to provide information beyond what is required to conduct the survey.
The officer further pointed out that the property information sheet used by the survey team contain 29 items, adding that details such as Aadhaar, PAN, voting card does not figure in the sheet.
Citizens for Democracy convenor, Elvis Gomes pointed out that correspondence signed by then Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Melvyn Vaz on October 1, 2024 shows that citizens were told to provide information and documents, including identity card, consisting of Aadhaar card, PAN card, voting card, driving licence.
“Let GSUDA and the Margao Municipal Council clear the confusion on the correspondence issued by the then MMC Chief Officer and the Property Information sheet issued by GSUDA,” he demanded.
