No 'Mhaje Ghar' Benefits for Portuguese Passport Holders And OCIs

Imagine surrendering your Indian passport to take up Portuguese citizenship for better future prospects, only to realize that you won’t be eligible for "Mhaje Ghar Scheme" benefits, even as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). The Goa State Revenue Department has officially confirmed that Portuguese passport holders and OCI cardholders are not eligible for land regularization benefits under the "Mhaje Ghar Scheme."

This clarification was issued by Vrushika Kauthankar, Under Secretary (Revenue I), to the South Goa Collector through an official communication stating that benefits under Section 38A of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968, are restricted to eligible Indian citizens and long-term domestic residents.

The official clarification follows a reference made by the South Goa Collectorate in May 2026, after receiving several applications from OCI cardholders seeking residence certificates under the scheme. To gain clarity on eligibility, the Collectorate had sought the Revenue Department's legal interpretation.

Shedding light on the issue, the Revenue Department stated that Section 38A was enacted as a welfare measure to regularize unauthorized dwelling units on government land occupied by long-term domestic residents before February 28, 2014, who have resided there continuously for 15 years prior to that date. Furthermore, the department noted that because the provision confers proprietary and ownership rights over government land, it was never intended to extend such benefits to foreign nationals.

The official communication, emphasizing that there is no legislative intent to extend these benefits to foreign nationals, has directed district authorities to exercise strict scrutiny when processing residence certificate applications. This ensures that government land is regularized only in favour of eligible beneficiaries.

With this clarification on eligibility and a commitment to strict scrutiny for residence certificates, the government aims to ensure that the maximum benefits of the scheme go exclusively to Indian citizens.