GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
Anxiety is mounting among hundreds, if not thousands, of families living within the Cuncolim Municipal area as they wait for the inquiry to be conducted by the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records under the National Geospatial Knowledge-Based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA).
Unlike most parts of Goa, more than 50 per cent of the land and property within the Cuncolim Municipal limits is managed and administered by the Sociedade Agricola dos Gauncares de Cuncolim e Veroda. With the NAKSHA survey entering the inquiry stage to determine the right, title and interest of individuals and institutions over surveyed land, uncertainty now surrounds the ownership status of hundreds of houses and structures built on Sociedade land.
Sources said many old houses have either been constructed on the basis of lease deeds executed with the Sociedade or, in some cases, may have existed for decades without any formal documentation. There are also concerns that several structures could be technically unauthorised despite having stood on the land for years.
The Directorate of Settlement and Land Records has now called upon land and property holders to participate in the month-long inquiry by producing ownership documents. However, many families fear they may be unable to establish their claims due to the absence of title documents.
The situation has raised a critical question over the legal status of houses standing on Sociedade land—whether the occupants will be recognised as landowners or whether ownership of the land will continue to vest with the Sociedade.
When contacted by The Goan, Chairman of the Sociedade Agricola dos Gauncares de Cuncolim e Veroda, Shaba Desai, admitted that the survey and the inquiry could create difficulties for hundreds of residents because around 70 per cent of the land in Cuncolim belongs to the Sociedade.
“Officials of the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records had held discussions with representatives of the Sociedade before the commencement of the NAKSHA survey. We had conveyed our apprehensions, considering that the land is owned by the Sociedade and there may be many house owners who do not even possess lease deeds,” Desai said.
He added that while the Sociedade could assist genuine occupants holding lease agreements, the position of many others remained uncertain.
“There may be many old houses built on Sociedade property. Several occupants may not even have lease deeds. In cases where the Sociedade has executed lease agreements, we may issue certificates confirming that the occupants are in possession of the land. As far as newer houses are concerned, we are seeking legal advice on how to proceed,” he said.
The Sociedade has also objected to the venue and the timeframe of the inquiry. Desai said that considering the large number of affected residents in Cuncolim, the government should conduct the inquiry in Cuncolim itself instead of requiring people to travel to Margao.
He further maintained that the one-month period earmarked for the inquiry would be inadequate given the complexity of land ownership issues involving Sociedade properties. “There are numerous land-related issues concerning Sociedade land. It may take much longer than a month to examine all claims. In fact, it could even require a year to complete a comprehensive inquiry into the ownership issues affecting Cuncolim,” Desai said.
Citizens slam 30-day land title deadline
MARGAO: Citizens for Democracy convenor Elvis Gomes has said the government’s order to thousands of Cuncolim residents to prove their ancestral land titles within an ‘impossibly brief 30-day window for the preparation of ‘Urban Property Card’ has triggered severe anxiety and deep resentment across the historic town of Cuncolim.
Addressing media, Citizens for Democracy Goa, led by Cuncolim local Elvis Gomes, while condemning the manner in which the public notice has been issued by the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR), termed the entire exercise a “mathematical absurdity and a logistical nightmare designed to penalise ordinary citizens.
He said that the NAKSHA public notice mandates the verification of an estimated 18,545 distinct property holdings between July 16, 2026, and August 14, 2026 in Cuncolim alone.
Explaining further, Gomes said, “For unique historical reasons, a vast majority of long term Cuncolim residents do not possess robust documentary records. Any demand by the Inquiry Officer for an immediate ‘proof of title’ under summary executive powers bestowed on the Inquiry Officer, bypassing civil court jurisdictions threatens to push ancestral properties into permanent legal limbo.” Gomes cautioned the government to exercise care before embarking on what he said was a ‘hazardous’ journey.
