Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Legislative Assembly on Friday made the change of name without following the proper process a criminal offence.
The Goa Change of Name and Surname (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in the Assembly, in an effort to restrain non-Goans from changing their names and surnames using the State machinery. Law Minister Nilesh Cabral on Friday told the House that a person would be imprisoned if he or she fails to follow the procedure laid down under the Act in changing the name.
Cabral said The Goa Change of Name and Surname (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in the House so as to lay down proper procedure for changing a person’s name and surname. “People who do not follow the procedure would be booked under a cognizable offence. The person would be imprisoned for a period up to three months,” the Minister said.
The Minister admitted in the House that 100 per cent of the name changes advertised in newspapers are not as per procedure and are hence illegal.
He said that as per the Act, persons who can change their name or surname or both can do so in circumstances of it being wrong or of an improper entry, correction of spelling or to make correct version, unpleasant or distasteful or name or surname erroneously written.
“Only people born in Goa are eligible to change their names under the amended Act,” he said, responding to questions posed by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
Congress MLAs told the State Legislative Assembly that a large number of migrants are illegally changing their names and surnames to Goan origin surnames. He said the Bahujan Samaj has brought to the notice of the government, how migrants are obtaining OBC certificates by changing their surnames.
Lourenco said that a large number of migrants are registering their births in Goa. He pointed out one case, wherein a 74-year-old man has registered his birth in Goa, through a Court order. The MLA said that since 2016, as many as 4,197 births have been registered through courts.
To this, the Minister said that registration of births, seeking court permissions is as per the Central Government’s Birth and Death Registration Act, and the State cannot stop it.
NCP MLA Churchill Alemao too said that people should be allowed to change their name in their birth place and not in other States. “We cannot allow some Yellappa or Nellappa to come to Goa and change their names and get benefits,” he said.
