The Goa assembly passed a bill aimed at regularising certain categories of unauthorised constructions on comunidade lands amid strong protests from the opposition, which claimed that the legislation will benefit non-Goans.
The Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed on Thursday night, with the House being adjourned twice after the opposition benches created a pandemonium.
Comunidade land refers to a system of communal land ownership and management in Goa, where land is collectively held by a community and governed by its members.
The bill, moved by State Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate, amends the 2016 Act to widen the scope for regularising certain categories of illegal constructions, including those on comunidade lands.
The legislation introduces provisions allowing the regularisation of houses built on comunidade and government lands if these have already been regularised under relevant land laws by competent authorities.
The permissible built-up area for regularisation has been allowed to 500 sq metres in village panchayat areas and 600 sq metres in municipal areas, subject to floor area ratio norms of the respective regions.
The bill makes it mandatory for the applicant to get consent from the respective comunidade bodies by paying them relevant fines.
The opposition benches argued that the government was attempting to regularise illegal constructions, especially of non-Goans.
The opposition MLAs walked into the well of the House, forcing Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to adjourn the proceedings twice for 10 minutes and five minutes, respectively.
Opposition MLAs also staged a sit-in protest outside the assembly complex after the session was over.
Talking to reporters after the passage of the bill, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the legislation will benefit 35,000 houses, of which 30,000 structures belong to Goans.
He said houses that completed 15 years as of February 28, 2014, will be eligible for regularisation only after receiving consent from the respective comunidade bodies and paying fines.
Sawant said the bill was drafted after several orders from the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court and the National Green Tribunal feared demolition of houses that were as old as 40 years.
“The government’s intention is clear that Goans should benefit from the bill,” he said, adding that beneficiaries should apply within 30 days, and a special officer would be appointed to oversee the process.
Published on August 8, 2025
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