PORVORIM: Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate stated on Tuesday that the government will explore amending relevant Acts or introducing special legislation to ensure motorable road access for landlocked properties.
MLAs Cruz Silva, Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Ferreira, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, and others brought to the House’s attention the issue of thousands of houses in Goa lacking motorable road access. These houses rely on traditional (kaccha) road access through private property. They urged the government to find a permanent solution.
In response, Atanasio Monserrate mentioned that the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act 2008 and the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010 possess the necessary authority to address parts of this issue, including land acquisition for access. However, these laws have not been fully effective in tackling the problem.
Monserrate added, “The Goa government has enacted the Goa Mamlatdars Court Act 1966 to protect and safeguard traditional access/roads in the State. While the 213 pending cases aren't alarming, they underscore an existing problem.”
Under the Goa Mamlatdars Court Act, applicants approach the Taluka Mamlatdars under Section 4 for redress regarding blockages of traditional access/roads.
Apart from the Mamlatdar Court Act, Monserrate noted that Revenue authorities lack empowerment under other Acts to take action against road blockages. He suggested that aggrieved individuals can seek relief by approaching a competent civil court.
“Given the complexity of the problem, it requires examination at multiple levels and by various departments. Hence, we’re exploring the possibility of amending relevant acts or introducing special legislation if necessary. Given the intricacies, constituting a committee with members from Revenue, TCP, PWD, Panchayat, Municipality, DSLR, to suggest solutions seems appropriate,” Monserrate explained.
Additionally, he stated that the government will consider directing the land survey and TCP departments to conduct a ward-wide survey in every panchayat to identify affected properties.