TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: After running from pillar to post over the last one year to get her mutation recorded in the revenue books, this resident of Per Seraulim in Salcete has finally knocked the doors of the Goa State Human Rights Commission complaining of alleged harassment, torture, pain, agony and injustice at the hands of government authorities.
Betty Rodrigues, wife of Saturnino, had purchased a property dated January 30, 2013 and subsequently approached the office of the Salcete mamlatdar with an application dated July 5, 2013 in order to mutate her name in the occupant’s column of the survey records of Gaudaulim village.
The Land Revenue Code mandates that revenue officials to carry out mutation within 30 days from the date of filing of such an application. Betty, however, has so far made 100 trips to the office of the Salcete mamlatdar and the district collectorate, south who have raised the question whether persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) can transfer land to resident Indians. “I had submitted all the circulars governing the aspect of OCI, PIOs and foreign nationals, as well as RBI guidelines pertaining to the acquisition and transfer of immovable property in India, by person residing outside India, to the joint mamlatdar-I, which entitles me to get my name mutated in the survey records of the property”, Betty stated in her petition before the human rights panel.
That’s not all. She said even the letter dated February 7, 2014 by the Director of NRI Affairs, U D Kamat to the district Collector and deputy Collector stating there ought to be no objection in carrying out the mutation of properties purchased by resident Indians from foreign citizens of Indian origin, who have acquired PIO or OCI card status, had failed to move the authorities to carry out the mutation.
On the contrary, Betty realised to her shock and surprise that the joint mamlatdar-I addressed a letter dated March 4, 2014 to the deputy collector (Revenue) holding that mutation cannot be carried out without obtaining RBI permission and conversion. “In the letter, the joint mamlatdar-I negligently stated that the mutation process would violate the RBI guidelines which strictly prohibit the transfer of agricultural land by any foreign national. So also, the joint mamlatdar-I ignorantly stated that the vendors are foreign nationals. Such a ridiculous statement on the part of the joint mamlatdar-I itself speaks volumes about the competency and qualification of the Joint Mamlatdar-I”, she stated.
Betty contended that the joint mamlatdar has not cited any rule that Indian National cannot buy property from OCI/PIO without conversion, adding that any conversion is done only after mutation. She has demanded to know whether the mamlatdar has powers to revoke the sale deed done by the sub registrar by proving that such a deed is invalid and therefore rejected for mutation.
