Team Herald
PANJIM: The ensuing Legislative Assembly session could see Goa government table legislation to provide protection to ancestral properties of the NRIs and expatriates from being sold fraudulently.
A day after his return from Dubai where the office of Goa Forward of UAE was inaugurated, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai said that Goans living overseas conveyed their anxiousness over their properties being fraudulently sold without their knowledge.
“During my visit to Dubai, I interacted with several Goans who listed out their problems and a major concern was that their ancestral properties in Goa are being sold fraudulently,” the minister said.
In several cases it was observed that a person having power of attorney towards the property signs the document selling it to the third party without informing the actual owner. “When the owners return, they find that their properties are already sold out without any intimation… I discussed the matter with Chief Minister (Manohar Parrikar) and the government will move legislation during the upcoming assembly session providing protection to such properties,” he added.
As per the proposed legislation, it would be compulsory for the owners to remain present at the time when their respective properties are being sold. This will ensure that those holding power of attorney cannot take wrong advantage and protection to such properties will be made through an amendment to Registration Act.
“There are around two lakh Goans settled in the UAE, which is a sizeable number considering the population of the State. These two lakh population is also our voters as they are NRIs,” he added. He further recalled that some people had left for those countries in 1960s when even flight connectivity did not exist and they had to go through ships.
Through the new organisation, which the minister clarified is not a direct organ of the party but connects all the Goans who are living abroad. “The government should consider the aspirations of these people, while framing the policies, who are of Goan origin and living abroad. These people want to connect with Goa so we will have to provide them the opportunities,” he said commenting that government will facilitate their investment in Information Technology and non-polluting industries in Goa while also promote reverse migration in the State. After UAE, Goa Forward will reach out to Goans living in Canada and Australia.
Reacting to the just-started controversy by certain section of people over the new office in Dubai, Sardesai, backed by Minister Vinod Paliencar and party leader Atanasio Monserrate said they are working keeping the long-term perspective in mind. “There has to be brotherhood amongst Goans which we have created. We are working with the long-term perspective. People in Dubai have joined us to foster brotherhood amongst Goenkar, which are without boundaries whether from Goa or Dubai. We want to do justice for each of them,” the TCP minister said further clarifying that he was invited to Dubai by Konkani Mogi group.
The Goa Forward Party ministers have vouched to help all those who joined them while also slamming the opposition to this new development overseas.
