VASCO: In a major decision that is expected to bring relief to hundreds of occupants of premises belonging to the Goa Housing Board at New Vaddem, the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Tuesday resolved to regularise 544 structures.
These structures were allocated to municipal workers under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Housing Scheme and were approved on Tuesday in accordance with Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) records.
With this move, the MMC has become the first civic body in the state to take a decision on regularising houses of the Goa Housing Board.
A special council meeting scheduled for the purpose was chaired by MMC chairperson Girish Borkar and attended by transport minister and Dabolim legislator, Mauvin Godinho. A proposal pertaining to the regularisation of houses of the Goa Housing Board was placed by Godinho. The council subsequently agreed to approve the plan according to MPDA records.
“We will see to it that the occupants of Goa Housing Board premises under the EWS Housing Scheme get their property rights. This, in turn, will enhance their standard of living and quality of life,” Godinho said.
Chief officer of the Mormugao civic body, Deepesh Priolkar, said the municipality decided to legalise area according to the original allocated plan, which is approximately 18-19sqm according to the EWS Housing Scheme.
“The Goa Housing Board may verify the legal ownership or rights to these houses that have been in the possession of the occupants for the past about four to five decades,” he said.
The EWS Housing Scheme is a national scheme that aims to provide affordable housing options for economically weaker sections of society.
