PANJIM: Bowing to intense public pressure and political outcry, the State government on Saturday withdrew its controversial May 2026 circular proposing to notify 56 villages across Goa as urban areas, prompting the Directorate of Panchayats to immediately cancel all scheduled Sunday, June 28 gram sabhas to discuss the issue while opposition leaders and environmental activists declared the sudden retreat a decisive victory for the people of Goa.
The Revenue Department, through a letter dated June 27, 2026, informed the Directorate of Panchayats that the earlier communication dated May 13, 2026, stands withdrawn with immediate effect.
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The proposal had sparked widespread opposition from villagers, panchayats, political parties and activists, who feared that the move would pave the way for large-scale urbanisation, threaten agricultural land and village character and increase the tax burden on residents.
The May 2026 circular had sought the views of village panchayats on implementing a January 29, 2020 notification issued under the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, which designated 56 villages across Pernem, Bardez, Bicholim, Sattari, Tiswadi, Ponda, Salcete, Mormugao, Quepem and Sanguem talukas as “urban areas” for the purposes of the Act. Incidentally, a similar exercise had sparked strong public protests in January 2020, forcing the government to withdraw the proposal within a month on February 18, 2020.
The fresh attempt through the May 2026 circular had once again reignited opposition across several villages prompting the government to withdraw the circular with immediate effect.
Following the withdrawal of the proposal, the Directorate of Panchayats issued a circular stating that all regular, special or extraordinary gram sabhas convened specifically to deliberate on the urban notification proposal stand cancelled with immediate effect. The directorate has instructed village panchayats to stop receiving public feedback, comments or resolutions on the issue.
Welcoming the Revenue Department’s decision to withdraw the notification proposing the urbanisation of 56 villages, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar called it a decisive victory of the people of Goa and a humiliating retreat by the BJP government in the face of overwhelming public opposition.
“The withdrawal of this notification is not the BJP government’s generosity; it is the result of the united resistance mounted by the people of Goa. This victory belongs to every villager, every village panchayat, every social organisation and every citizen who refused to allow Goa’s identity to be compromised,” Chodankar said.
“The government had attempted to impose urbanisation without building public consensus, ignoring the constitutional role of Village Panchayats and the legitimate concerns of local communities regarding land use, ecology, infrastructure, governance and Goa’s unique cultural heritage. Let this serve as a clear message to the BJP government. Do not attempt to impose decisions that threaten Goa’s villages, environment, land, culture and identity. Whenever the interests of Goa are endangered, the Congress Party will stand with the people and fight relentlessly until justice prevails,” Chodankar said.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) President and MLA Vijai Sardesai posted on his X handle, “Victory for every Goenkar! Following our ultimatum to mobilise villages across the State, the government has officially withdrawn the controversial urban areas notification with immediate effect! Let this be a reminder to never underestimate the voice of Niz Goenkar! Goa Forward Party will always fight to protect Goem, Goenkar, Goenkarponn!”
Federation of Rainbow Warriors convenor Abhijit Prabhudessai said, “Withdrawing the circular alone was not enough. The government is doing everything possible to destroy the State. They are trying from all sides and it is obvious if you look at the ongoing zone changes, mega housing projects including government projects, which is destroying Goa. The intention of the government is to make money by selling Goan lands. Withdrawing the circular is nothing for us. People’s unanimous demand is that fields should remain as fields, property as property, forest as forest and Goem as Goem. The government should immediately stop land conversions and instead build schools and hospitals wherever needed and allow only individual homes. The government is in such a state of panic that it is uncertain whether there will be sufficient water next year.”
Prabhudessai recalled that the government had attempted in January 2020 to include villages as urban areas and later withdrew the notification following widespread protests and the village panchayat unanimously passing resolutions to scrap the proposal.
Environmentalist Swapnesh Sherlekar said, “The government issued the notification without first communicating with or consulting the villagers. This created panic among the people, as they have little trust in the government’s decisions. The credit for the outcome goes to the people, not the government. This reflects the government’s failure to engage with the public and build confidence before taking such an important decision.”
Former Moira sarpanch and activist Virgilia D’Sa said, “I feel the government is testing the waters to gauge the people’s reaction. There was no consultation with the villagers, and suddenly out of the blue, it issued a fresh notification proposing to include 56 villages in urban areas. This is not how a democracy should function. The government is wasting the people’s productive time and in the end nothing is achieved. Instead of addressing the real issues, it is creating unnecessary uncertainty.”
