Aldona MLA criticises government’s move on sale deed registrations

Aldona MLA criticises government’s move on sale deed registrations

MAPUSA: Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira has strongly criticised the government’s announcement allowing registration of sale deeds at any of the 12 sub-registrar offices in the state, instead of restricting them to the region where the land is located.

Ferreira said the announcement made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is contrary to central legislation and would render such sale deeds null and void.

“The statement of the chief minister that a new procedure is being put in place to allow sale deed registrations to be done in any registration office in Goa, like for instance registering a sale deed of Bardez in Canacona, is shocking. Probably he has not been briefed. This shows the ignorance of law,” he said.

“I don’t know who has advised the chief minister or whether this is being done under pressure by some outside lobby. This is another instance where we can see that the BJP government is trying to finish off Goa as fast as possible where they want to get rid of us here in Goa. From law after law, they want to deprive Goans of property, and now they want to bring such a law by which you can register sale deeds anywhere in Goa,” Ferreira added.

Explaining the central legislation, Ferreira pointed out that under Section 28 of the Registration Act, 1908, registration of sale deeds must be done at the office of the sub-registrar within whose sub-district the property is situated.

“This means that if your property is situated in Mapusa, it has to be registered in Bardez. However, the chief minister’s announcement is contrary to law. Unless this Act is amended, any state government cannot make any law contrary to a central law. It will be hit by Article 254 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, any state law which is repugnant to a central law is void, this is the constitutional provision. If you are making a provision to enable people to register sale deeds anywhere in Goa contrary to Section 28, those sale deeds will become null and void,” he said.

Ferreira further stated that there are four Privy Council judgments which hold that registrations outside the jurisdiction are a nullity.

“If I am buying a property in Bardez and to check if it is sold, I will go to the Sub Registrar in Bardez and find out if such a document is there. How can I go to Quepem or Canacona and find out in relation to a property in Bardez? How will I know if such a sale deed exists? This is absolute nonsense and complete violation of law. This makes a mockery. This is nothing but a licence to loot our property of Goans,” he said.