Tag: Goa

IndustryLatest Stories

Goa Owners Must Pay Circle Rate to Regularize Structures

PANAJI: Goans wishing to legalize structures on government or comunidade land will need to pay according to the minimum land price set by the state government. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced on Sunday that property owners will be charged based on the circle rate. The cabinet has discussed the rate for regularizing structures under the ‘Majhe ghar’ scheme. A cut-off date of 2014 has been established for this regularization process. Currently, the minimum land price varies across different talukas. Some ministers advocate for a single rate for regularization, while others point out disparities where lower prices in certain talukas lead…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

TCP Reclassifies 1 Lakh Sq Meters of Land from Green to Settlement

Representative AI image PANAJI: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) department has approved a new set of zone change proposals across Goa, permitting the transformation of extensive areas of orchards, arable land, natural cover, and even regions on no-development slopes into settlement zones, as per Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act. These approvals, issued through two separate notifications, affect over 98,058 sqm of green space across various villages in Pernem, Bardez, Tiswadi, and other areas. The TCP received applications from individual applicants and major developers including Sky Sun Real Estate LLP, Gangareddy Infra, Dempo Properties, Adwalpalkar Construction,…

Latest StoriesResidential

Goa Housing Board to Use PPP/JV for Residential Projects Completion

Representative image PANAJI: The Goa Housing Board (GHB) plans to finalize stalled residential projects via joint ventures or public-private partnerships (PPP). They will hire a consultant for transaction advisory and developer selection. Chairperson Jit Arolkar stated, “We will complete all incomplete projects either through joint venture or PPP.” The board will first finish a partially constructed residential complex at Porvorim, which is already 50% complete, with an approved architectural design in place. The project site is located in a prominent residential area in North Goa, offering excellent connectivity to Panaji, Mapusa, and the National Highway. Its proximity to schools, hospitals,…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Chimbel Residents Oppose Unity Mall, Cite Lake Threat

PANAJI: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted an environmental clearance (EC) for the Unity Mall in Chimbel. However, local villagers are voicing their opposition, claiming it threatens the nearby lake and the aquifers situated on the hill. The SEIAA approved the project with specific conditions, including the requirement for the developers to utilize treated water from the Tonca sewage treatment plant during construction. They have also been instructed to devise a comprehensive mobility plan to mitigate potential traffic congestion in the area. “This is the same region bordering the designated Chimbel wetland lake where the government…

Latest StoriesResidential

Goa to Regularize 20-Point Plots; Collectors Can Issue Sanads

Representative AI image PANAJI: The revenue department is taking steps to regularize residential plots allocated under the 20-Point Programme scheme for underprivileged sections, addressing long-standing challenges faced by allottees in obtaining necessary clearances and financial aid. A recent circular from the revenue department indicates that district collectors in both North and South Goa are now empowered to directly issue Class I sanads, even for lands valued over Rs 50,000, without needing to consult the council of ministers. Once regularized, these grants will be classified under Section 37B of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968. Beneficiaries are also permitted to approach…

Latest StoriesResidential

Paying house tax alone doesn’t legalize structures: GCZMA

PANAJI: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has issued orders for the demolition of several illegal structures, including beach shacks and unauthorized extensions to hotels and resorts, along the turtle nesting beach of Agonda in Canacona. The GCZMA clarified that paying house tax to the local panchayat does not legitimize a structure. It stated that house tax collection is merely for revenue purposes and does not serve as evidence of a structure’s legality. The GCZMA received a complaint last year regarding “rampant illegal construction” aimed at commercial benefits within the CRZ area of Agonda, which is designated as a…

Latest StoriesResidential

Goa to launch housing project in each taluka for the needy

PANAJI: The state government plans to establish one housing project in each taluka for residents who cannot afford homes or are currently homeless. This initiative will be carried out through the Goa Housing Board (GHB). According to GHB Chairman Jit Arolkar, the first project will be located in Pernem, featuring 100 one-bedroom flats. Arolkar stated that only residents of Pernem will qualify for long-term lease allocations. Arolkar further emphasized that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant desires similar projects in all talukas, highlighting that the flats will be made available to citizens under the Chief Minister Awas Yojana. The GHB is currently…

Latest StoriesResidential

20-Year Ban on Selling Regularized Houses in Goa: Draft Rules

PANAJI: The recently notified draft rules for the regularization of houses on government land specify that beneficiaries will not be permitted to sell or transfer the land, or any part of it, for a period of 20 years from the date of regularization. The state government has indicated that any transfer after 20 years will still require government approval. The draft Goa Land Revenue (Disposal Of Govt Land) (Amendment) Rules, 2025, further stipulates that applicants may incur a jail term of up to two years or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh if they submit false declarations or…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Goa Land Grab Scam Valuation May Surpass ₹1,200 Crore: ED

PANAJI: According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the market value of land parcels allegedly illegally acquired by Yeshwant Sawant and others is expected to surpass Rs 1,200 crore, as reported by Murari Shetye. The ED conducted searches on Monday and Tuesday at 13 residential and commercial locations across Goa and Hyderabad in this alleged land grab case, seizing Rs 72 lakh and seven luxury vehicles. The investigations were initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) due to illegal grabs of comunidade lands in Goa. This action followed an FIR filed by the Goa police pertaining to the unlawful…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

ED Seizes Luxury Cars in Goa ‘Illegal’ Land Grab Case

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confiscated seven luxury vehicles including brands such as Porsche, Mercedes, and Audi, following raids in a money laundering investigation tied to an alleged ₹1,200 crore land grabbing case in Goa. This case involves an individual named Yeshwant Sawant and several others. The operation began on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday. According to the ED, 13 residential and commercial properties in Goa and Hyderabad were examined under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) due to the “illegal” seizure of Communidade lands in Goa, as stated in the agency’s announcement. The ED’s case is…