Goa to launch land survey after 50 years to update its records

Panaji: After the first land survey was conducted over 50 years ago, state govt has decided to conduct a new land survey to update its land records. The survey will identify unoccupied vacant plots and land parcels that are not claimed by any person.

State govt will first conduct surveys in urban areas. The last survey was conducted in 1972. State govt has drafted the Goa of Urban Habitations Rules, 2025, and invited objections and suggestions from the public before finalising the rules and commencing the survey.

“Wherever a survey of lands in any village, town, or city is directed to be made by govt, the directorate of land and records will issue a general notice to the inhabitants of the area informing them about the survey. They will call upon the house owners, mortgagees, residents residing out of India, and other persons having an interest in the lands to be surveyed to provide all information to the survey officers and to ensure that their lands are measured and rights recorded correctly,” under secretary (revenue-I) Vrushika Kauthankar said.

An officer not below the rank of an inspector will be in charge of the survey operations.

“The survey officer shall be assisted by such staff of the land survey department, revenue department, directorate of panchayats, urban development department, Corporation of City of Panaji, or respective municipal council to facilitate the conduct of the survey,” Kauthankar said.

“The operations will be recorded in UP-ULPOR (Urban Peri Urban Land Property Ownership Records) as may from time to time be laid down by the director. The staff will also record all the information collected through the web GIS Portal of MPSEDC (Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation) in the UP-ULPOR,” the under secretary said.

The data and the register prepared shall then be forwarded to the inquiry officer, who shall be a survey officer not below the rank of an inspector.

“The inquiry officer will determine, for each parcel of land situated within the limits of the area under survey, who is entitled to hold the title of each such parcel of land, which shall include encroachments, easements, or licences, and what lands vest in a local authority or govt,” govt said.

“The inquiry officer shall prepare the draft UP-ULPOR and place the same in the public domain in urban and peri-urban areas to invite suggestions or objections within a period of 30 days by giving a public notice,” Kauthankar said.

The inquiry officer will send a list of unoccupied vacant plots and land parcels that are not claimed by any person to the collector.

Then the collector will take appropriate action under the Goa Escheats, Forfeiture and Bona Vacantia Act, 2024.