Goa: Backlog in revenue department keeps tenancy, mundkar cases pending for as long as 15 years

PANAJI: The delay in granting land ownership rights remains a persistent problem, with a total of 4,722 cases filed by people under the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964 and the Goa, Daman and Diu Mundkars (protection from eviction) Act, 1975 still pending for as long as 15 years.
The cases are pending before various deputy collectors and mamlatdar courts for disposal, said revenue minister Atanasio Monserrate in a written reply submitted in the state legislative assembly.
As per information provided in the House, most of the pending cases are from Bardez, Salcete, Tiswadi and Pernem.
In North Goa, there are 1,270 cases under the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act pending for five years, 335 cases pending for five to ten years, and 313 cases pending for 15 years and more.
In South Goa, there are 374 tenancy cases pending for five years, 23 cases for five to ten years and 46 cases for 15 years and more.
When it comes to pending cases under the Goa, Daman and Diu Mundkars (protection from eviction) Act, there are 926 cases pending in North Goa for at least five years, 292 cases for five to ten years and 251 cases for 15 years.
In South Goa, there are 630 mundkar cases pending for five years, 115 cases pending for five to 10 years and 147 cases for as long as 15 years.
Though the Goa Agricultural Tenancy (Amendment) Act, 2017 was introduced to clear tenancy cases immediately, thousands are pending for more than three years, government records show.
Chief justice of the Bombay high court Dipankar Datta in August 2021 said the pendency of agriculture, tenancy and mundkar cases in revenue courts is an “area of concern” in Goa and must be addressed so that “needy and marginalised people do not have to wait unduly long for justice”.
In many cases, civil suits are stayed until these matters are disposed of by revenue courts, Datta had said.