Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday distributed ownership rights certificates (sanads) to more than 1,000 beneficiaries under the Mhaje Ghar Scheme and declared that the State Government was fully prepared to defend the initiative before the courts amid an ongoing legal challenge.
Addressing a function at the Institute Menezes Braganza in Panaji, Sawant said the government had a strong legal team and would vigorously contest the case challenging the scheme.
“We will defend Mhaje Ghar in court, no matter who has challenged it,” Sawant told reporters. He added that he was aware of the identity of the person who had filed the case and said that information would be disclosed “at the appropriate time.”
The Chief Minister alleged that certain individuals were attempting to prevent Goan families from obtaining legal ownership of their homes through the scheme. He also criticised some opposition legislators, claiming they had opposed the legislation in the Assembly but later participated in distributing application forms under the same programme.
The Mhaje Ghar Scheme was introduced to provide recognition and occupancy rights to eligible Goan families residing on government and comunidade land. Since its launch, the scheme has faced legal challenges and opposition from several comunidades, which argue that the land involved does not belong to the State and should not be regularised in favour of what they describe as illegal occupants.
Despite the controversy, Sawant described the scheme as a landmark initiative intended to address long-pending housing issues.
“This scheme ensures simplified pathways for regularisation. It is about giving genuine Goan families the dignity of ownership,” he said.
Officials said the distribution of sanads marks a major milestone in the implementation of the scheme, with beneficiaries receiving legal recognition of their homes after years of uncertainty. Several beneficiaries at the event expressed relief at finally obtaining documentation that offers protection against possible eviction and legal disputes.
Sawant said the government remained committed to safeguarding the interests of Goans and providing housing security.
“We are not just regularising houses. We are securing futures,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that all pending Kul and Mundkar cases across Goa would be disposed of within the next three months.
“The government has resolved to ensure that all pending Kul and Mundkar cases are disposed of within the next three months and that no such files remain pending thereafter,” Sawant said.
He described the move as part of a broader effort to provide legal certainty to thousands of families across the State.
In another announcement, Sawant said all eligible applicants under the Mhaje Ghar Scheme would receive their house sanads at their doorsteps within the next six months. He further revealed that the government was working on a proposed “Mhajo Flat” Scheme aimed at expanding housing benefits to more residents.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, who was present at the event, said irregularities in the implementation of the 20-Point Programme in Porvorim had been brought to the attention of the Chief Minister. He said corrective measures were subsequently taken to ensure that eligible beneficiaries received their house sanads.
Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade welcomed the initiative and said that while he had been unable to secure ownership rights for several families in Pirna during his tenure as Sarpanch and MLA, the present government had fulfilled that long-standing demand.
He thanked the Chief Minister for enabling families to obtain legal ownership of their homes and described the move as an important step towards resolving decades-old land and housing issues in Goa.
Sawant reiterated that housing remained a basic necessity and defended the scheme as a response to longstanding demands from residents.
“Housing is a basic need. Mhaje Ghar is our answer to decades of waiting,” he said.
While legal proceedings against the scheme continue, the Chief Minister maintained that the government would continue to defend it.
“We will fight this case with full strength. The people of Goa deserve this recognition,” Sawant said.
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