Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jan 8: In a move aimed at easing regulatory procedures and improving ease of doing business, the state government on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, reducing the time limit for issuing conversion sanads from the existing 60 days to 45 days.

The decision is part of a wider deregulation and compliance-reduction initiative launched by the Union government, which has constituted a task force under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary. The initiative seeks to assist states and Union territories in simplifying regulatory frameworks and administrative procedures to promote ease of living and business.

Under this initiative, several priority areas were identified and allocated to different state government departments. For the revenue department, one key focus area is the simplification of the land-use conversion process in both urban and rural areas, with clearly defined timelines.

A major component of the reform is the rationalisation of the time taken to grant conversion sanads. In Goa, conversion sanads are issued under the provisions of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, read along with rules governing the conversion of land use and non-agricultural assessment.

Currently, the Code mandates that the collector must decide on an application for land conversion within 60 days from the date of receipt. However, during review meetings held as part of the central government’s deregulation drive, it was observed that this statutory period could be shortened. Comparisons were drawn with states such as Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where similar applications are processed within a shorter timeframe.

Following these deliberations, the state government proposed amending the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, to reduce the prescribed period for disposal of conversion applications. The move is expected to streamline the process, bring greater efficiency in land-use approvals, and support the broader deregulation framework.