Process for filing applications to begin next month
Panaji: With an aim of protecting nearly 1 lakh houses of Goans, the state government has decided to provide legal status to these houses by regularising the structures shown in the survey plan of 1972.
Announcing the decision on Friday during a media briefing following a cabinet meet, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government has issued three circulars through the revenue department, the department of panchayats and the municipal administration to regularise the houses constructed before 1972, including those built on Alvara or Bhatkar lands.
Stating that the application process will commence from August 1, 2025, Sawant said the move seeks to provide recognition to the houses that have existed for decades but lacked formal documentation. He said the government has made a proforma available to file applications.
As per the new procedure, the regularisation will be carried out in three stages. Initially, Deputy Collector will issue a Settlement Land Certificate following which the respective panchayat or municipality will verify and certify the structure as a legal one. Finally, a Legal Home Certificate will be issued to the house owner. The entire process has been designed to be completed within a span of seven days, Sawant said.
“This is not only a policy decision; it is a social justice initiative that brings peace of mind to thousands of Goans who have lived in legal limbo for generations. Thousands of homes across Goa, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, were built before the state’s liberation in 1961 and in the decade that followed. However, due to historical land ownership patterns and lack of streamlined land records, many of these houses – especially those built on Alvara (leased) or Bhatkar (landlord) land – were never formally registered or given ownership certificates,” the Chief Minister said.
The announcement has been met with widespread relief and optimism, especially among elderly homeowners and families that have been waiting for generations for legal clarity.
Sawant said that to qualify, a plot must not exceed 1,000 square metres and the structure should cover at least 25% of the total area as shown in the original survey plan. “The applicant needs to pay Rs 1,000 as process fee and in turn, he will get a conversion sanad certificate,” he said.
Applicants must submit a request to the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer in a prescribed format along with supporting documents such as Form I and XIV, survey plans and a nominal fee.
After verification, a settlement land/ sanad certificate will be issued within seven days, certifying the structure as legal and exempt from conversion provisions under the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968.
The government is also set to table bills in the ongoing monsoon session of the legislative assembly to regularise such houses and structures in the state.
Revenue Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate and Secretary (Revenue) Sandeep Jacques were present with Sawant during the press briefing.
