Home / LAW / Sep 06- Sep 12, 2025 / GOVT DE-SEALS OLD LYCEUM BUILDING AT ALTINHO! By Dr Olav Albuquerque
GOVT DE-SEALS OLD LYCEUM BUILDING AT ALTINHO! By Dr Olav Albuquerque
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GOVT DE-SEALS OLD LYCEUM BUILDING AT ALTINHO! By Dr Olav Albuquerque

LAW, Sep 06- Sep 12, 2025 September 5, 2025 , by

TO comply with the Bombay High Court’s order, the Goa government has de-sealed the old high court building, popularly known as the Lyceum building, at Panjim’s Altinho. The government intends to shift offices currently functioning from Junta House to the restored premises. Meanwhile, members of the legal fraternity have urged that the historic building be utilized to set up a dedicated Mediation Center for the state.
 Arbitration, mediation and conciliation are the three alternative dispute resolution mechanisms used to ensure litigants are not tortured by endless meandering of court cases for decades, when the grandchildren of litigants sometimes see the suit instituted by their grandparents still surviving.
The old building at Altinho is a historic monument that needs to be preserved for posterity, rather than being torn down to build a concrete matchbox to take its place. The Directorate of Panchayats and other government offices currently function from the Miles Hotel building opposite the KTC bus stand at Patto. The Goa government pays a good sum running into several lakh rupees per month to the owner of the premises as lease rent.
Earlier, the Directorate of Panchayats used to function from the 3rd floor of Junta building but the premises were found to have inadequate space which is why the entire office was shifted to the Miles Hotel.
IN ANOTHER landmark decision, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court has ruled that if the MBBS quota reserved in Goa Medical College at Bambolim for the children of freedom fighters remains unfilled, these three per cent seats should be transferred to the general quota instead of adding them to the sports quota.
This makes sense because most of the freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of Goa are dead, and their children have already grown up. At least a thousand children of freedom fighters have gained admission to medical colleges through this quota, and most of them have become doctors. It does not make sense to transfer this quota if it is left unfilled to the sports quota because top-notch sportspeople do not necessarily make excellent doctors.
In a separate decision, which will affect Goans, Goemkar and Goemkarponn, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to upload a list of unauthorized constructions within its jurisdiction in the state of Goa on its website within two weeks. The NGT observed that making the list public would bring transparency. Granting a final opportunity to the GCZMA to comply with this order, the Tribunal has listed the matter for hearing on 24 September.
BY not publishing this list of illegal constructions, the GCZMA has only helped those who put up illegal constructions within the prohibited zone, after blatantly flouting laws and norms that are well publicized. Without naming them, these illegal constructions are backed by powerful politicians, who stand to lose a lot if they are ordered to demolish them.
At present, illegal constructions sprout with blatant violation of the rules all over the Goa. Lands belonging to Goan Catholics who have migrated abroad have been grabbed by unscrupulous elements with RTI activist, Vilas Mether, being burnt to death for applying for information from the village panchayat of Salvador do Mundo.
Leaving all that aside, the new law, which authorizes the Goa government to take over the land of those who die without leaving heirs, is another example of a colonial legislation that was used by the British, whom we despised, to grab land. The erstwhile East India Company, which incidentally still exists and was taken over by an Indian, came to this subcontinent to trade but played off local rulers against each other so that when it was finally pushed out by the British Crown in 1858, it owned one-quarter of the princely states.
INCIDENTALLY, the British East India Company, which was founded in 1600, still remains the oldest corporation set up in India for trade, but its charter allowed it to wage wars and do all other illegal acts to further British interests. Some of its stalwarts amassed so much wealth from the nabobs whom they looted that they could marry any Englishwoman they chose after returning to England.
 Finally, we have power minister Sudin Dhavalikar challenging Aam Aadmi party leader Amit Palekar’s allegation that “40 percent commission” is being taken in Goa. Dhavalikar challenged Palekar to back his allegations with facts and name those involved instead of making sweeping statements.
Taking a jibe at AAP, Dhavalikar reminded that several of its ministers in Delhi were arrested and jailed on corruption charges. He also came to the defence of Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho, who was acquitted for alleged power theft conspiracy by dismissing the accusations against him as baseless.

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