Panaji: The directorate of settlement and land records (DSLR) has initiated formal land inquiry proceedings in Panaji and Margao to verify land ownership, a key step under the Centre’s NAKSHA pilot project aimed at creating digital urban property records in Goa.The inquiries follow the completion of physical verification of geospatial survey data in the jurisdictions of the Cuncolim Municipal Council, Margao Municipal Council and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), including peri-urban areas of Tiswadi taluka.According to the inspector of survey and land records, inquiry officers will determine the rights, title and interest of individuals and organisations over lands under survey. Based on the findings, draft urban property cards (UrPro) will be prepared for each land parcel and are expected to serve as digital title records.GOACAN, however, flagged discrepancies in the public notices. It said the Panaji notice incorrectly refers to the “Panaji Municipal Council”, which no longer exists and should have referred to the CCP.The group also pointed out that while notices issued for Margao and Cuncolim provide 21 working days for public inspection, only 16 days have been allotted for Panaji and surrounding villages of Tiswadi.“In view of this situation, as these inquiries involve land, the time provided must be a clear 60 working days and, in the case of the reference made to peri-urban areas, it is important that the names of the villages in Tiswadi taluka also need to be specified,” said GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins.Martins said extending the timeline would benefit women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.Property owners and stakeholders have been directed to appear before the respective inquiry officers with documents relating to the title of their properties.NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) is a central govt initiative to create legally recognised digital land records in urban areas. Goa is among the states where the pilot has been rolled out.
