The Goa Government has amended the Code of Comunidades to allow private land development and regulate land grants for public projects. The amendment grants the government authority to acquire communal lands for public initiatives and lease land to educational or health institutions. In late 2024, the Goa Cabinet approved amendments to the Code of Comunidades via the Goa Legislative Diploma No. 2070 (Amendment) Act, 2024, introduced through an ordinance. This amendment inserted Article 31-A, which strictly prohibits changing the designated land-use of Comunidades land once allotted for a specific purpose be it residential, institutional, industrial, or governmental thus reinforcing the original intent of allocation
The Administrator of Comunidades now has the authority to initiate inquiries, issue restraining orders, and, importantly, revoke land if misused curtailing the powers of bodies like TCP, PDA, municipal councils, or other planning authorities from overriding these restrictions This reform is widely perceived as a corrective to past misuses—such as land allocated for industrial purposes being repurposed for real estate, exemplified by the Zari case. While civil society welcomed the measure, some activists voiced concerns about enforcement and retrospective application
Prior to those restrictions, in mid-2023, Goa’s government had already pushed another amendment to the same Code. This move empowered the government to acquire Comunidades land for public projects, or permit Comunidades to lease parcels up to two lakh sq. metres to educational, health, or social trusts, on lease post approval and bidding This was seen as a step to streamline development, but raised early concerns regarding Comunidades’ autonomy and transparency. Fast-forward to mid-2025: the Assembly passed The Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Bill, 2025, offering a legal pathway to regularize certain structures built on.
Comunidades or government lands, under strict conditions. Structures older than 15 years (as of February 28, 2014) could be regularized but only if the respective Comunidades consents and fines are paid. The maximum permissible built-up area is capped—500 sq. m in panchayat areas, 600 sq. m in municipal zones CM Pramod Sawant emphasized that approximately 35,000 structures stand to benefit, with 30,000 of these reportedly belonging to Goins However, Comunidades strongly oppose this bill. In July 2025, representatives under the “Save Comunidades, Save Goa” banner declared they would challenge the law in the Supreme Court, citing prior court orders and stating that the government lacks authority to legalize encroachments on land it doesn’t own.
(Asterope Properties). In Margo, the conflict assumes a microcosmic form. The Aqua Comunidades owns over 25,000 sq. m at Moti Donor and Tas Anzor—land dotted with over 300 unauthorised structures. Post-amendment, concerns have escalated that the bill may be used to dispossess Comunidades of valuable land, affecting longstanding legal battles initiated back in 2013. Aqua has signalled readiness to file a writ petition in the High Court once the Governor gives assent and the bill is notified (Comunidades).
- Preservationist reforms (2024) sought to protect Comunidades land use via legal curbs and administrative oversight.
- Development-oriented allowances (2023) opened doors to leasing or acquisition for public projects—but these were seen as potentially compromising Comunidades autonomy.
- Regularisation provisions (2025) aim to give legal legitimacy to long-standing habitation—but stir deep resistance from Comunidades, raising questions of legality, consent, and future precedent.
- Ground realities, especially in Moti Donor, illustrate how these legal changes have tangible stakes—families seeking stability versus Comunidades defending rights and heritage.
