Margao: Citizens for Democracy Goa, a citizens’ group, demanded that govt pause the NAKSHA property verification exercise in Cuncolim until formal guidelines and the process’ legal basis are publicly issued. It said the ongoing drive has caused anxiety among thousands of residents.Convener Elvis Gomes criticised a notice by the directorate of settlement and land records requiring residents to prove land titles within 30 days for the ‘urban property card’. He called the schedule a “mathematical absurdity and a logistical nightmare”, and said it seeks verification of about 18,545 property holdings in Cuncolim between July 16 and Aug 14, 2026.Gomes said many long-term residents lack complete historical documentation. He warned that demands for immediate “proof of title” through summary executive powers and by bypassing civil courts could leave ancestral properties in prolonged legal uncertainty. He also highlighted difficulties for residents living abroad or elsewhere in India who cannot appear within the deadline.He said he has written to the chief minister and appealed to PWD minister Digambar Kamat to intervene, noting similar issues could arise in Margao. “Land is a sensitive issue. When thousands of desperate citizens from Cuncolim and Margao are forced to queue up before an inquiry officer, it may lead to chaos,” Gomes said.
