Goa, Aug. 9 -- Karsten Miranda

In a late-night coup, the State government pushed through legislation to regularise unauthorised houses on comunidade land, drawing fierce backlash from comunidade leaders across Goa, who branded it an 'assault on the rule of law' and 'legalised plunder', and vowed to challenge it in court.

The Goa Legislative Diploma No 2070 dated April 15, 1961 (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was passed in the Assembly late on Thursday night after repeated adjournments and uproar from the Opposition. The law allows the regularisation of unauthorised houses built before February 28, 2014, on comunidade land - property traditionally owned and managed by local gaunkar communities.

Opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the House tw...