RTI for Goa Housing Board EDC Plot Flat Allotment

The Goa Housing Board (GHB) is a statutory body established under the Goa Housing Board Act, 1968, under the Housing Department, Government of Goa. Its primary mandate is to provide affordable residential housing — flats, apartments, and residential plots — to eligible residents of Goa across income categories: EWS (Economically Weaker Section), LIG (Low Income Group), MIG (Middle Income Group), and general applicants.

GHB housing schemes are regularly oversubscribed, and applicants frequently face delays in allotment outcomes, opaque waitlist management, slow construction progress, or unclear payment demand notices. Because GHB is a state public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, citizens can use RTI to obtain precise, documented answers on all of these issues — waitlist position, allotment criteria, draw of lots results, project construction status, payment schedule, and cancellation or refund policy.

What Can You Achieve with RTI to Goa Housing Board?

Filing an RTI application with the Goa Housing Board can help you:

• Confirm your exact waitlist position in the housing scheme and the total number of applicants on the list in your category
• Understand the allotment criteria and priority order — income limits, domicile requirements, reservation percentages for SC/ST/OBC/EWS, and how tie-breaking is done
• Obtain the draw of lots methodology and result — whether the draw was computerised or manual, how many applications were received, how many units were offered, and the application number range of selected candidates
• Verify the current construction or project completion status of the scheme and the expected possession date
• Get a copy of the approved payment schedule — instalment amounts, due dates, and penal interest on delayed payments
• Understand the cancellation and refund policy — grounds for cancellation, deductions, and the timeline for refund of amounts paid
• Identify the officer responsible for your file so you can follow up through official channels
• Obtain copies of any allotment committee resolutions or minutes relating to the scheme

Where to File: The Right Authority — Goa Housing Board vs EDC

Goa Housing Board (GHB) is the correct authority for all residential housing scheme applications — flats, apartments, and residential plots allotted to individual homebuyers. It is a state body under the Housing Department, Government of Goa, and the SPIO is located at GHB's office in Panaji.

EDC (Economic Development Corporation of Goa Ltd) is a separate state-owned entity whose primary function is administering industrial plots and estates in Goa's industrial zones — it is not a residential housing body. EDC allotments are directed at industries, manufacturing units, and small enterprises, not individual homebuyers. If your query relates to an industrial or commercial plot allotted by EDC, direct your RTI to the SPIO, Economic Development Corporation of Goa Ltd, Panaji. If you are uncertain which body issued your allotment, check the letterhead or authority name on your application acknowledgement or allotment letter.

For GHB housing scheme matters, file your RTI with:

State Public Information Officer (SPIO), Goa Housing Board, Panaji, Goa – 403001

The Goa Housing Board is a state public authority. All appeals from GHB RTI applications — both the First Appeal and the Second Appeal — remain within the state system:

• First Appeal: First Appellate Authority (FAA), Goa Housing Board, Panaji
• Second Appeal: Goa State Information Commission (GIC) — not the Central Information Commission. The CIC handles only Central Government bodies; the GIC handles all Goa state bodies, including GHB, EDC, the Goa Electricity Department, the Town and Country Planning Department, and all other state departments and corporations.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1: Gather Your Documents and Details

Before drafting your RTI application, collect the following:

• Your application or registration number under the specific GHB scheme
• The scheme name (as it appears on your acknowledgement — e.g., "GHB Affordable Housing Scheme 2023" or "GHB Residential Plot Scheme, Chimbel")
• The category you applied under (EWS / LIG / MIG / HIG / SC / ST / OBC)
• Your allotment letter number and date, if you have been allotted a unit
• Any payment receipt numbers for amounts already deposited
• Copies of any correspondence you have already sent to GHB and their responses

Step 2: Draft Your RTI Application

Identify what you specifically want to know — waitlist status, draw outcome, construction progress, or payment schedule — and frame each query as a precise, numbered information request. Avoid vague requests like "provide all details." The sample application above covers the most common scenarios; use and adapt the relevant points.

Step 3: File Your Application

Submit your application to the SPIO, Goa Housing Board, Panaji. For online filing, check the Government of Goa's citizen services portal at goaonline.gov.in for the current RTI submission facility — verify the URL on the official Goa government website before filing, as online portals may be updated. Alternatively, submit a physical application by hand or by registered post to the SPIO's office. Attach the ₹10 fee by Indian Postal Order, demand draft in favour of "Goa Housing Board," or as permitted at the time of filing. BPL cardholders attach a copy of their BPL card and are exempt from the fee.

Step 4: Track and Follow Up

The SPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt of your application (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). If the information sought concerns life or liberty, the deadline is 48 hours. Keep the acknowledgement or postal tracking number as proof of filing.

Step 5: Appeals

If no response arrives within 30 days, or the response is incomplete, incorrect, or evasive:

• First Appeal under Section 19(1): File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at Goa Housing Board within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is required.
• Second Appeal under Section 19(3): If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file with the Goa State Information Commission (GIC) within 90 days of the date of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the FAA's response period. No fee is required. The GIC can direct the SPIO to furnish information and impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on the SPIO personally under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Waitlist Position and Scheme Status

• Your current waitlist position in the scheme under your application number and category
• The total number of applicants on the waitlist in each category (EWS/LIG/MIG/HIG) as of a specified date
• Whether the scheme is still open for applications or has been closed, and if closed, the reason
• The number of units reserved for SC/ST/OBC/EWS applicants under the scheme and the number of reserved units remaining unallotted

Allotment Criteria and Draw of Lots

• The complete eligibility and priority criteria used for allotment — including income limits for each category, domicile/residency requirements, whether preference is given to applicants without existing property, and reservation percentages
• Whether a draw of lots was conducted: if yes, the date, methodology (computerised/manual), total applications received in each category, total units offered in each category, and the application number range or list of successful applicants
• Whether any allotments were made outside the draw process (e.g., discretionary allotments, government servant quota, or hardship cases), and if so, the criteria and names of the allottees under such categories
• Copies of allotment committee meeting minutes or resolutions approving the allotment list for the scheme

Construction Status and Possession

• The current stage of construction of the project — foundation, superstructure, finishing, or completion — as of the date of your application
• Whether an Occupation Certificate or Completion Certificate has been obtained from the competent authority (TCP/municipal body), and if not, the reason and expected date
• The revised expected date of possession of units in the project
• Whether any approvals from the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), or any other statutory body are still pending, and the current status of those approvals

Payment Schedule and Dues

• A copy of the approved payment schedule for allottees in the scheme — instalment amounts, due dates, and the total cost of the allotted unit
• The rate of interest or penal interest applicable to delayed instalment payments and the basis (which Board resolution or government order) for that rate
• The current outstanding balance on your allotment, with a breakup of principal, interest, and any penalties applied

Cancellation and Refund

• The Goa Housing Board's policy for cancellation of allotment — grounds on which GHB may cancel, grounds on which allottees may surrender, and notice period required
• The deductions applied to amounts deposited at the time of cancellation or surrender, and the legal or administrative basis for those deductions
• The timeline and procedure for refund of amounts deposited after cancellation, and the mode of refund (cheque/NEFT)