The Government of Goa on September 07, 2026, issued the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Act, 2026, to further amend the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968.
The following has been amended, namely:
• It shall come into force at once except Clause (A) of Section 2 and Sections 3 and 4, which shall be deemed to have come into force on April 22, 2026.
• The amendment revises Section 9, concerning the determination of the number of Councillors/seats in municipal areas. The population threshold in the relevant provisions is increased from 2,500 to 3,000, and the basis is changed from the number of “voters in the municipal area” to “population.” Further, the provision relating to reservation is changed from a mandatory 27% to “may be 27%”, and a new rounding rule is introduced: fractions below one-half are ignored, while fractions of one-half or more are counted as one.
• Section 10 is comprehensively substituted to establish a detailed process for division of municipal areas into wards and reservation of wards. The State Election Commission will determine the number of wards and complete delimitation within 60 days. Draft delimitation will be published for public objections/suggestions for 30 days, followed by final delimitation within 30 days. Thereafter, empirical data on political backwardness will be obtained from the Goa State Commission for Backward Classes, followed by draft and final reservation notifications, each allowing a 30-day objection/suggestion period. Elections may be declared after 30 days from publication of the final reservation notification. Each ward will elect one Councillor, and no personal hearing is required for objections/suggestions.
• Section 11 is also amended to provide that the Goa Legislative Assembly electoral roll in force on the date notified by the State Election Commission will be divided into municipal wards and authenticated ward-wise copies will constitute the municipal voters list. At least 30 days before the election notification, copies of the ward-wise voters lists shall be made available for public inspection.
• The Act also repeals the Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, while saving actions already taken under the Ordinance as actions taken under the amended Act.
[Notification No. - Goa Act 17 of 2026]
