PANAJI: A written reply to the House by the Minister for Revenue, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza informs that a total of 22,85,927 sq mts of land in North Goa and 13,35,950 sq mts of land in South Goa is in possession of Indian Armed Forces - the Navy, the Army and the Air Force.

The written reply further informs that Goa Shipyard is currently in possession of 14,480 sq mts of land, for which a lease deed is yet to be executed; and 10,958 sq mts of land, for which lease agreement is already signed. “The total land in their possession is 1,56,000 sq mts including acquired and purchased land as informed by the GSL,” it added.
“The Mormugao Port Trust, on the other hand has a total land of 13,74,757 sq mts in its possession, including 6,84,706 sq mts of land prior to 1964, besides another 1,70,488 sq mts of land and 5,19,563 sq mts of land from 1971 to 1985,” the information presented to the House maintained, maintaining that 10,15,000 sq mts of land was allotted to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in the year 1992.
It was also revealed that the National Institute of Oceanography has a land admeasuring 75,295 sq mts in its possession, while the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research presently possesses 1,47,660 sq mts of land, allotted to it for construction of office and other buildings.
“Finally, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research has been allotted land admeasuring 3,57,128 sq mts in the years 1984 and 1986 for establishing the ICAR research complex,” he added, pointing out that 15,000 sq mts of land was allotted in the year 1984 for construction of catering college building, staff quarters
and hostel.
“The Indian Armed Forces and Mormugao Port Trust were having the land prior to 1964, and the land mentioned in each organisation is transferred as per the government decision to set up these organisations in the state,” the reply maintained. “However, in some cases there are no records of acquisition readily available,”
it concluded.