The Goa legislative assembly on Wednesday passed the Goa Public Records Bill which provides of a regime by statute to create, maintain and preserve public records in the State.
The law piloted by Achaeology and Archives Minister Subhash Phaldesai, provides for a Record Officer and also a Public Records Board, which the minister said will be heading the public records set up.
Provision that criminalises destruction of public records
It also has a provision which criminalises destruction of public records and stipulates a prison term of up to 5 years and/or a fine of ₹10,000.
RGP MLA Viresh Borkar's attempt to suggest several amendments to the bill including hiking the fine to ₹1 lakh and the prison term to 10 years was aborted by him after the treasury benches, including chief minister Pramod Sawant, pointed out that proper procedure of a 36-hour advance notice of the amendments was not followed.
Borkar nonetheless placed his amendments on the table of the House, which Sawant said, the Minister will take into consideration and if need be bring in amendments to the law in future sessions.
Nine Bills passed
Goa govt has notified 9 bills passed in the ongoing assembly session. The bills will now be sent to governor for his assent. The following bills have been notified:
Goa Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which allows the state to establish a tribunal to settle GST disputes
The Goa Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which tweaks four sections to curb unfair practices and to enable audits of cooperative societies, particularly cooperative credit societies.
Goa Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes Category Bill, 2023 which proposes to punish anyone who obtains a false caste certificate by furnishing false information with rigorous imprisonment for a term not fewer than six months and up to two years in addition to a fine up to ₹1 lakh or both.
Goa (Recovery of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty, Other Dues through Settlement) Bill, 2023, for a one-time settlement scheme to resolve legacy tax issues in the state up to June 30, 2017, under the Central Sales Tax Act, Goa Sales Tax Act, Goa Tax on Luxuries Act, Goa Entertainment Tax Act, and Goa Tax On Entry of Goods Act.
Goa Staff Selection Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which allows government departments to complete recruitments to group ‘C’ posts by October 31.
Indian Stamp (Goa Second Amendment Bill) 2023 to add the nomenclature of nephew, niece, son-in-law and sister-in-law to execute a gift deed in their favour.
Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction (Third Amendment) Bill, 2023, to offer citizens a fresh deadline of 90 days within which to submit applications for the regularisation of unauthorised constructions.
Goa Succession Special Notaries and Inventory Proceeding (Amendment) Bill which ensures that in the event of the husband’s death, the wife gets her rightful share in the property.
Goa Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) (Amendment) Bill 2023, to bring premises belonging to or vested in the administration of comunidade within the ambit of the term “public premises” to facilitate smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants of such premises.
