Panaji: The Goa Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘Mhajo Flat’ scheme, aimed at granting ownership rights to thousands of flat owners who have been unable to secure legal title due to disputes between builders and landowners or because developers abandoned projects.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the scheme would benefit owners of flats purchased decades ago who continue to possess only agreement-based rights and would also facilitate the redevelopment of ageing residential buildings across the state.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Sawant said the scheme involves coordinated amendments to the Goa Cooperative Societies Act, 2001, the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, and related provisions under the Revenue Department to simplify the process of unilateral deemed conveyance.
“Many people purchased flats 30 to 40 years ago but still do not have ownership because the builder failed to execute the conveyance deed, the land title was not cleared, or disputes arose between the developer and the landowner,” the chief minister said.
He said that under the scheme, flat owners can form a cooperative housing society, which will be empowered to obtain conveyance of the land even if the developer is unavailable or disputes persist between the builder and the landowner.
The Cooperative Department will facilitate the process and intervene in cases where disputes have prevented conveyance, Sawant said.
“The land will be transferred in the name of the cooperative housing society, enabling the residents to undertake the redevelopment of old buildings,” he said.
The chief minister said applicants will have to pay a one-time registration fee of Rs 10,000 and a nominal stamp duty of Rs 1,000.
He added that the government has also introduced a categorised stamp duty structure based on location, with coastal and major urban centres falling under Category A, municipalities under Category B, and remote villages under Category C.
Sawant said the notification for the scheme would be issued within two days and that the initiative would remain operational for about two years.
He said the amendments to the Goa Cooperative Societies Act, 2001, and the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, along with the reduction in stamp duty for unilateral deemed conveyance, are intended to ensure ownership rights for genuine flat purchasers.
The government expects the scheme to resolve long-pending ownership issues and pave the way for the redevelopment of several ageing apartment complexes across Goa, he added.
