Central Government Issues Notification for Land Acquisition to Expand National Highway 66 in North Goa

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a statutory notification on July 29, 2025, signaling the commencement of land acquisition proceedings for the expansion of National Highway 66 in the state of Goa. Published as S.O. 3503(E) in the Gazette of India, the instrument was promulgated under the authority of the National Highways Act, 1956. The notification specifically targets a stretch of land spanning from kilometer 475.000 to 500.500, covering the Patradevi to Karaswada section in the North Goa District. This administrative action is part of Package-I, identified as Additional Area II, and is directed toward the widening, maintenance, management, and operation of the highway, which was formerly designated as National Highway 17. The legislation came into force immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette, marking a formal declaration of the Central Government’s intent to acquire specified parcels of land for a defined public purpose.

The legislation provided: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 (48 of 1956) (herein after referred to as the said Act), the central Government, after being satisfied that for the public purpose, the land, the brief description of which is given in the Schedule below, is required for building, (widening/four-laning, etc) maintenance, management and operation of National Highways No.17 (New NH 66), on the stretch of land from Km. 475.000 to 500.500 (Existing KM 475.000 to Km 500.500) (Patradevi to Karaswada Section) in North Goa District, in the state of Goa, Package-I (Additional Area II ) hereby declares its intention to acquire such land.”

The statutory framework established by this notification provides a mandatory window for due process, allowing any person with an interest in the affected land to raise objections. Under Section 3C(1) of the National Highways Act, 1956, stakeholders are granted twenty-one days from the date of publication to submit their objections regarding the use of the land for the proposed highway works. These objections must be submitted in writing to the designated competent authority, which in this instance is the Special Land Acquisition Officer, PWD-National Highways, based in Altinho, Goa. The legal procedure requires the competent authority to provide objectors with an opportunity to be heard, either in person or through a legal practitioner. Following such hearings and any necessary further inquiry, the authority is empowered to issue an order allowing or disallowing the objections, with such orders being final under the statutory scheme.

The policy rationale underlying this notification is the urgent necessity to upgrade regional infrastructure to accommodate increasing traffic volumes and enhance connectivity within the coastal state. By invoking Section 3A of the National Highways Act, the government addresses existing statutory gaps in road capacity along the Patradevi-Karaswada corridor. The earlier legal position regarding these specific plots was one of private ownership or varied land use, which is now being substituted by a state led acquisition process to facilitate four laning and modern highway management. The schedule attached to the notification details approximately 90 distinct survey or plot numbers located within the Pernem Taluk, specifically across the villages of Poroscodem and Uguem.

The total area identified for acquisition under this specific notification amounts to 0.437 hectares. The schedule categorizes the majority of the affected parcels as private "wet" land (agricultural or low-lying land), with a smaller portion classified as "dry" land. For instance, in Poroscodem village, a significant portion of survey number 12 is identified, while in Uguem village, dozens of smaller fragments from survey numbers 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 85, and 94 are listed. These fragments range from as small as one square meter to larger plots exceeding one thousand square meters. To ensure transparency and facilitate the objection process, the government has made land plans and detailed records available for public inspection at the office of the Special Land Acquisition Officer. This enforcement mechanism ensures that while the state exercises its power of eminent domain (the power of the government to take private property for public use), the rights of the affected landowners to be heard and to inspect the technical details of the acquisition are preserved under the statutory timeline.

Keywords: National Highways Act 1956, Land Acquisition Goa, NH 66 Widening, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, North Goa Infrastructure, Section 3A Notification, Pernem Taluk, Patradevi Karaswada Section

Geo Tags: India, Goa
District: North Goa