VITHALDAS HEGDE
Resistance is build ing in Merces and surround ing villages against the ongo ing digital land survey under the NAKSHA programme, with residents warning it could ‘open a Pandora’s box’ of disputes among neigh bours long living in fragile peace. The Directorate of Set tlement and Land Records (DSLR) has begun ground verification as part of the National Geospatial Knowl edge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAK SHA), covering areas under the Corporation of the City of Panjim and revenue vil lages including Taleigao, Murda, Bambolim, Calapur and Cujira. While officials say nearly 70 per cent of the sur vey is complete in Panjim and about 20 per cent in Taleigao, resistance on the ground is beginning to surface. Villagers in Merces, where officials recently held an in troductory meeting, have flagged deep apprehen sions about the implica tions of digitally demarcated boundaries.
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Merces sarpanch Sushant Govekar said the concerns would be formally taken up. “Villagers who attended the meeting expressed apprehensions over the digital survey. We will convene a gram sabha next month, where the pro ject will be discussed and a decision will be taken.” Residents fear that long-settled understandings be tween neighbours could unravel once precise, geo-refer enced boundaries are enforced. John Nazareth, who attended the meeting, said, “The digital land survey could open a Pandora’s box if disputes arise among neighbours over encroachments. Those who have built compound walls and have been living peacefully may turn into rivals if it is found that one has encroached on another’s property. The DSLR officials need to allay our fears.” Despite outreach attempts, scepticism persists across the Tiswadi belt. Santa Cruz deputy sarpanch Sandeep Sawant noted that officials had briefed the panchayat ear lier, but the process has not moved forward locally. Former sarpanch Mariano Araujo struck a cautious note, backing the idea in principle but warning of fallout. “The NAKSHA project can be undertaken in the revenue village if it gives villagers accuracy and clarity in land ownership. It may affect those who have built illegal structures. The govern ment should help people who have built unauthorised structures on their own properties,” said Araujo. Officials, however, maintain that the exercise is aimed at reducing — not triggering — disputes. The DSLR says the survey, being carried out by 17 teams across four zones with support from local talathis, will create accu rate, geo-referenced land records and enable the issuance of urban property cards. It argues that clearer titles will strengthen urban planning and prevent misuse of govern ment land. The NAKSHA initiative is part of the Centre’s Digital In dia Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), rolled out as a pilot across 152 urban local bodies. With deadlines approaching, the Goa government is pushing for faster implementation — even as resistance from villages like Merces builds.
