Goans acquiring of a Portuguese nationality is a known fact to everyone but the news of Goans also have acquired the Pakistani nationality may come as surprise to many. But it is the fact. Goans have not only acquired the Pakistani nationality but they also own more than 100 crore rupees worth of properties in the state of Goa. These properties are now known as “Enemy Properties”. According to the sources, the Union Home Ministry has identified such 263 Enemy Properties in the state and most of them are situated in the north Goa. Which are these enemy properties and what government is going to do about it? take a look at the complete report here.
This is perhaps the most sensational news that Goans are going to witness. According to the sources, The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has identified 263 enemy properties in the state of Goa which worth over 100 crore rupees. The most shocking things here is, these properties belong to the Goans who have acquired the Pakistani nationality. The sources have said that the government of India is intended to take over these properties by the way of passing a law in the parliament.
The sources have also revealed that the enemy properties are the ones whose survey numbers are registered in the name of Goans who had migrated to Pakistan several decades ago. Most of these properties are located in the Bardez and Salcete Talukas of Goa. The home ministry has forwarded a list of enemy properties to both district collectors for the purpose of necessary actions.
Based on the information available from the reliable sources, around 30,000 Goan Catholics were migrated to Pakistan in the year 1954 out of which 10,000 Goans had settled down in Karachi. When the incident of migration took place, at that time, Pakistan was not an enemy of India but it was around in 1965 that India declared the Pakistan as an enemy state and subsequently the properties belonging to the Pakistani Goans had also become the Enemy Property, said the sources. Most such properties are located in the talukas of Bardez and Salcete, while a few lie in Tiswadi, Bicholim and other parts of the state.
The sources have said that the home ministry has forwarded a list of enemy properties to both district collectors and has directed them to collect the lease rent from their occupants. Meanwhile, several hundreds of people have already approached courts, staking claim to these properties. According to Advocate Cleofato Coutinho, there should be a mechanism in place for citizens who have changed their nationality to claim their property. “The problem with the current law is that it is very difficult to get such property back,” he said.
On September 11, 1965, a central government notification stated that all immovable properties in India belonging to, or held, or managed on behalf of Pakistani nationals were to be treated as enemy properties and that control over them was to be vested in the custodian of enemy property. Matters relating to enemy property are dealt with under the Enemy Property Act, 1968 and Enemy Property Rules, 2015. These cases involving enemy properties are dealt with under the Enemy Property (amendment and validation) Ordinance promulgated by the President of India on January 7, 2016.
