Goa cabinet approves 'Mhajo Flat' scheme to resolve long-pending disputes

The Goa cabinet on Wednesday approved the 'Mhajo Flat' scheme, enabling thousands of flat owners to obtain legal ownership of their homes despite long-pending disputes involving builders, landowners and abandoned housing projects.The scheme was announced in March by chief minister Pramod Sawant during the 2026-27 State Budget and aims to resolve long-pending issues faced by those who had purchased flats decades ago but never received legal title because conveyance deeds were not executed.Addressing the press conference after the cabinet meeting, Sawant said the initiative would particularly benefit owners who currently possess only agreement-based rights despite having bought their flats 30 to 40 years ago."Many people purchased flats 30 to 40 years ago, but still do not have ownership because the builder failed to execute the conveyance deed, the land title was not cleared, or disputes arose between the developer and the landowner," he said.How the scheme will workUnder the scheme, eligible flat owners will be able to form a cooperative housing society, which will then be empowered to obtain conveyance of the land through a process of unilateral deemed conveyance, even if the developer is unavailable or disputes with the landowner remain unresolved.The state's cooperative department will facilitate the process and intervene in disputes related to conveyance. Upon completion of conveyance, the land will be transferred to the cooperative housing society, giving residents legal ownership.Applicants under the scheme will be required to pay a one-time registration fee of Rs 10,000 and a nominal stamp duty of Rs 1,000. The government has also introduced a location-based categorisation for stamp duty, with Category A covering coastal areas and major urban centres, Category B covering municipalities, and C covering remote villages.To simplify the process, the government has approved amendments to the Goa Cooperative Societies Act, 2001, the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, and related revenue provisions.The state government expects the initiative to resolve thousands of long-pending ownership disputes while facilitating the redevelopment of several ageing apartment complexes across Goa, where legal hurdles have prevented housing societies from undertaking repairs, reconstruction or redevelopment.Ready to Make a Smarter Property Decision? Build Your Legacy with TOI Homes.