Received by a member of BE from the FC0 to-day.

Dear

Thank you for your email regarding property issues in Goa.We would welcome extra information from you and other British expats and have noted your request for a meeting with FCO representatives in the UK.We will inform you when this meeting is confirmed.

Whilst we take on board your concerns, you will be aware that the issues are complicated and progress can only be achieved through working with the Government of Goa. The proforma will aid you in presenting your case accurately and help us in finding a resolution with the Government of Goa.A FCO representative will always be present when the Government of Goa reviews cases.

We would encourage you to use the proforma so that the Government of Goa can hopefully find a way forward on your particular case.


Regards,
Lotika

Lotika Mehta |Bilateral Projects Officer |Political Section

British High Commission |Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 1100021

UK coalition government seeks your suggestions on ways to reduce budget deficit:

http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

Unaffordable Foreign Aid which doesn't reach the relevant recipients springs to my mind.

Oops, the unelected to government Lib Dems have ring fenced this and they also stood on a manifesto of increasing the Foreign Aid Budget, so I suppose the majority of UK citizens who didn't vote for them have to go along with that????

Democracy. . . . . . . . . .

When I saw the two 'departments' that weren't going to suffer 25% to 40% cuts, it really did stick in my throat that one of them was going to be 'foreign aid'. . . . . . . . . . .

H.

Can the FCO and BHCI hopefully read this and finally get the message that British nationals have been mistreated and placed under great personal stress and insecurity by the rogue administration that governs Goa and enacts amendments to laws even when they have no jurisdiction to do so and such amendments have not even been put into law, and are de facto illegal.

Will they now put pressure on Central Government of India and the State Government of Goa to instruct the Registrars and Mamladtars in Goa to lift the illegal ban placed upon the consideration of foreigners documents and to do their job which is to process and register the transfer of property and issue Forms I & XIV??

Will the BHCI convene a further meeting of British citizens during season time with the attendance of Sir Richard Stagg (now hopefully adequately informed on the property scandal) and will he meet with the Chief Minister in advance to remind him of the illegality of his administration's actions against foreigners who parted with large sums of money in good faith and with best Goan legal advice obtainable to purchase property in Goa, these purchases having since illegally been deemed illegal?

The Times of India

House withdraws registration amendment bill

TNN, Jul 23, 2010, 06.53am IS

Bill|Goa Amendment PANAJI: The Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2008, which was unanimously passed nearly two-and-a-half years ago, ostensibly to restrict foreigners from buying land in Goa, was rejected by the Union home ministry and had to be withdrawn.

The Goa assembly on Thursday granted leave to withdraw the Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2008 (Bill No 20 of 2008).

It maybe recalled that during the budget session in 2008, then law minister Dayanand Narvekar had piloted the bill seeking amendment to section 22 which would make "registration of certain documents to be opposed to public policy".

The amendment bill was to empower registering officers to not only examine documents but also to seek any papers they deem relevant for registration.

"Foreigners cannot purchase land in Goa, that is our public policy," Narvekar had said. As it was a central act, the union home ministry didn't agree to the amendment, sources said.

Copyright © 2010 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd



oHERALDo

Largest Circulated English Daily of Goa - Sunday, July 25, 2010

Registration Bill of 2008 withdrawn

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, JULY 23 2010

Speaker Pratapsing Rane granted leave to withdraw the Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2008, in the Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

The Bill was passed more than two years back to restrict foreigners from buying land in Goa. It had raised eyebrows after it was passed in the Assembly. It may be recalled Dayanand Narvekar, who was then Law Minister, had asserted the bill meant to “ban” foreigners from buying properties in the State didn’t mention anywhere its intentions of banning foreigners from buying land. He had maintained there was no mention of foreigners in the bill.

Since it was a Central Act, the Union Home Ministry didn’t agree to the amendment.

© M/s Herald Publications Pvt Ltd, P.O.Box 160, Rua San Tome, Panjim-Goa 403001. Editor-in-Chief: Mr R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat

Have again emailed this thread to Simon, Peter B. and Lokita and asked for a statement/comment.

Received from the FCO to-day.

Hi Noni,

I am sorry for the delay in reply but I'll send you my response by next week, once the VVIP visit -currently in the country is over and things get less crazy around here! Hope this is OK?

thanks,
Lotika

UK in India Please send your questions
on India-UK ties to British Foreign Secretary @WilliamJHague
with tag #fsinindia by 1100 hrs on 29 July.


On Facebook this morning!

How?

AndyD 8-)#

British Foreign Minister William Hague will take questions on UK-India relations on Twitter. Post your questions using #fsinindia @WilliamJHague, by 1100 hrs on 29 July 2010.

Follow us on Twitter.

Unfortunately, I don't use sites like Facebook, Twitter or Bebo. Could Mr Hague not just take questions by dedicated e mail?

Also, Lotika at the FCO will get back next week once the VVIP visit is over!! Is now not precisely the time to be taking our grievances to the highest UK level while it is actually in India. Not once the political bandwagon has rolled on.

Are the FCO and BHCI not failing in their duty to represent us?

Can anybody with a Facebook or Twitter account please state our case regards the property situation in Goa. Thanks.

I agree babu 1 that it is imperative that we make our views known and like you don't have a facebook or twitter account. I probably not enough electricity to even try and set one up. Please anyone that does and has a property issue contact William Hague and tell him the truth! Everyone who cant do so would really appreciate it

Thankyou Ruskin

so with the time difference it looks as if we're to late.
Pity!

AndyD 8-(#

I'm new to twitter, but I've sent William Hague a tweet, asking him that Sir Richard Stagg apprises him of the plight of British Expat property owners in Goa.

As I say, twitter Technology is way beyond me - I just hope it gets thro'. I can just about manage this. Bring back the tom-tom drums!

Well, I don't know if I've opened up a can of worms, but have just received notification from Twitter that my Tweet is being followed by "Conservatives" - Martin Kettle - Guardian UK Ltd.

HELP plse from any tweeters out there!! Am I about to be ejected from the nest?

Do any of you REALLY think our problem will be mentioned? Wake up, none of them give a toss for us. They`re too busy implementing their " New Relationship" with India to let our tiny problem mess it up. Stagg knows our problem, he should enlighten Hague, or whoever. Has there been any feedback from the last meeting? He was supposedly meeting Kamat the next day. Perhaps Kamat had him for breakfast!! Hasn`t it got through to some people, WE`RE ON OUR OWN.

Regards,
Wally.

Must admit, I tend to agree with you, Wally.

I think we're the little embarassment that will hopefully just disappear of its own accord.

Shame on the BHC

Yet India seeks immigration changes into the UK so that Indian-run companies in Britain can bring in their own Indian migrant workers, and we all know what a burden that will end up being on the state. Yet we cannot obtain proper visas to live here freely without being any burden on India.

The Indians have a very one-directional mind - their direction!