The Goa government moved to address public concerns on Saturday, clarifying that rural villages included in a large-scale urban mapping exercise will not be incorporated into nearby towns or declared as urban areas. The clarification came amid fears and misinformation circulating on social media regarding the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA) project.
Addressing Public Apprehensions Head-On
North Goa District Collector Ankit Yadav explicitly stated that the NAKSHA pilot project and the Goa Escheats, Forfeiture and Bona Vacantia Act are completely independent and not linked. He sought to quash rumours spreading online. "On social media, it is being circulated that the govt can take over your property if you have no legal heirs, or if you are living abroad, or if the paperwork is not complete. This is not true," Yadav said.
Chandrakant Shetkar, Director of Settlement and Land Records, echoed this, highlighting specific worries from the diaspora. "There is an apprehension that the rural areas taken up for survey will be converted into urban areas. Then there are NRIs, people who live abroad, who think that after the survey, their vacant or unoccupied property will be taken over. This is a wrong message," Shetkar explained.
Why Rural Areas Were Included in an 'Urban' Survey
The authorities revealed a practical reason for including rural zones. The aerial survey under NAKSHA—a city survey initiative under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme—has specific criteria set by the Central government regarding population and area size.
Officials stated that major towns like Margao, Panaji, and Cuncolim did not meet the required threshold limits on their own. "That is why we had to add the rural areas to the survey to meet the criteria. But these areas are not going to be converted to urban areas," Shetkar emphasised.
The survey will cover a list of urban and adjoining rural areas including:
- Panaji, Bambolim, Cujira, Calapor, Durgawadi, Taleigao
- Morambi-O-Grande, Renovadi, Murda, Morambi-O-Pequeno
- Margao, Aquem, Davorlim, Navelim, Nuvem, Seraulim, Raia
- Cuncolim, Veroda, and Ambelim
Transparency and Urban Planning Benefits
Shetkar outlined the core objectives and advantages of the NAKSHA survey, which goes beyond just land records to map transport infrastructure, utilities, and other civic amenities.
The primary goal is to bring transparency to land records and reduce property disputes. "This survey will help us reduce land disputes," Shetkar said. He listed several key benefits:
First, it will enable better, data-driven urban planning for municipalities. Second, in the event of disasters, the detailed geospatial data will significantly improve crisis management and response. Third, the updated information will help improve the delivery of municipal services to citizens.
Furthermore, the survey is expected to help prevent encroachments on government, semi-autonomous, and comunidade properties. It will also assist municipal bodies in identifying structures currently outside the tax net, potentially increasing house tax revenue for local infrastructure development.
The government's statement aims to reassure residents, especially non-resident Indians, that the NAKSHA survey is a technical and planning tool designed for modernisation and efficiency, not a mechanism for altering land classification or seizing properties based on incomplete paperwork or ownership status.
