‘Mhaje Ghar’ sign of empowerment: Shah

Panaji: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said state govt had taken a big decision to give ownership of houses to 10 lakh people — equivalent to 50% of the population — with one Mhaje Ghar scheme. State govt is set to regularise houses under 11 different schemes.

Shah launched the ambitious Mhaje Ghar scheme to regularise houses built on govt land, on land owned by individuals, and on comunidade land. He said such a decision would have required at least 10 different legislations, but that Goa govt made it happen , with one legislation. The minister also handed over forms to some people seeking to regularise their houses, at a function at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao.

He said the Goans of tomorrow will be able to say that a house — which was earlier stuck in 11 different types of legal tangles — now belongs to them. “It is my house. It is a sign of big empowerment for the people of the state. The intention behind the scheme is to provide legal protection and permanent ownership of houses to 50% of the state population,” Shah said.

The home minister said that since the Liberation, there has been a demand for the legalisation of houses, but when fear loomed over the demolition of houses following the Bombay high court order in March this year, Sawant and his team removed the anomaly by introducing one law, providing relief to 50% of the state’s population. Shah remembered former chief minister and former defence minister Manohar Parrikar, and said that through his simplicity, honesty, and foresight, he made Goa proud.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant said Mhaje Ghar is not just a scheme but a revolution to give legal protection to illegal houses in the state. He said that now people will be able to have a legal name on ancestral homes which were earlier not legal.

“I congratulate the Sawant team for Mhaje Ghar. It is not just a scheme but a reflection of good administration and a sensitive govt. It is a reflection of BJP govt, which is working under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shah said.

He further said that now people can mortgage their houses and obtain loans for further studies of their children, and even easily transfer the ownership of their houses to their relatives.

“From where did BJP state govt get inspiration to take such steps? Modi inspired BJP state govt to introduce a new law to provide relief to the people of their state,” Shah said.

Shah said that Modi has given reservation for the ST community ahead of the upcoming assembly election in Goa, and that now they will be elected from reserved ST seats, which were never there for them in the past.