The Goa, Daman and Diu Debt Relief Act, 1980

Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –15–  Debt Relief Act 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Goa, Daman and Diu Debt Relief  
Act, 1980 

 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –16–  Debt Relief Act 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –17–  Debt Relief Act 

The Goa, Daman and Diu Debt Relief Act, 1980 
 

The Goa, Daman and Diu Debt Relief Act, 1980 (Act No. 8 of 1981) published in the 
Official Gazette, Series I No. 21 dated 20th August, 1981 and came into force with 
immediate effect i.e. 11th August, 1981. 

 
Arrangement of Sections 

  
1 Short title, extent and commencement 
2 Definitions 
3 Stay of suits, etc. 
4 Discharge of certain debts 
5 Power  of District Magistrate to enforce 

delivery of possession of property to 
debtor 

6 Board to determine certain questions 
7 Establishment of Debt Relief Board 
8 Members of Board deemed to be public 

servants 
9 Board to have certain powers of civil 

court 
10 Application for settlement of debt 
11 Assignee from non-debtor not entitled to 

benefit of this Act 
12 Consolidation of applications 
13 Service of notice on debtors and creditors 

to submit  statement of debts 
14 Debts in respect of which no application 

for settlement is made to be void 

15 Power of Board to effect settlement and 
decide disputes as to existence or amount 
of debt or assets 

16 Mode of taking accounts 
17 Fraudulent allenations or encumbrances 

void 
18 Board’s duty to determine paying 

capacity 
19 Maximum amount allowable in 

repayment of a debt 
20 Appeal from orders of Board 
21 Execution of orders 
22 Bar on courts 
23 Penalty for molestation 
24 Certain offences to be cognizable 
25 Protection of action taken in good faith 
26 Appearance of  party before Board by 

agent or by legal practitioner 
27 Remission of interest 
28 Power to make rules 
29 Repeal 

 
 

GOVERNMENT OF GOA, DAMAN AND DIU 

Law Department (Legal Advice) 
__ 

 
Notification 

 
6/16/80-Legal 

 
The following Act which was passed by the Legislative Assembly of Goa,  

Daman and Diu on the 22nd day of April, 1980 and assented to by the President of India 
on 19-7-1981, is hereby published for the general information of the public. 
 

B. S. Subbanna, Under Secretary (Drafting) to the Government of Goa, Daman  
and Diu. 

 

Panaji, 11th August, 1981. 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –18–  Debt Relief Act 

The Goa, Daman and Diu Debt Relief Act, 1980 
 

(Act No. 8 of 1981) 
 

AN 
 

ACT 
 
to provide relief from indebtedness to agricultural labourers, rural artisans, marginal 

farmers and small farmers in the Union territory of Goa, Daman  and Diu. 
 
 

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu in the Thirty-first 
Year of the Republic of India as follows:— 
 
 

CHAPTER I 
 

Preliminary 
 

 

1. Short title, extent and commencement.— (1) This Act may be called the Goa, 
Daman and Diu Debt Relief Act, 1980. 

 

 

(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. 
 

(3) It shall come into force with immediate effect. 
 

2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 
 

(a) “Administrative Tribunal” means the Administrative Tribunal constituted under 
the Goa, Daman and Diu Administrative Tribunal Act, 1965 (6 of 1965); 

 
(b) “agricultural labourer” means a person who follows any one or more of the 

following agricultural operations in the capacity of a labourer on hire or exchange, 
whether paid in cash or in kind or partly in cash and partly in kind and who does not 
hold any agricultural land namely:— 
 

(i) farming, including cultivation and tillage of soil; 
 

(ii) dairy farming; 
 

(iii) production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any horticultural 
commodity; 

 

(iv) raising of livestock, bees or poultry; 
 

(v) any practice performed on a farm as incidental to, or in conjunction with, 
farming operations (including any forestry or timbering operations) and preparation 
for market, or delivery to storage or to market or to carriage for transportation of 
farm products; 

 

(c) “agriculture” with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes 
the raising of food crops such as paddy, wheat, pulses, millets and vegetables, and of 
sugarcane, groundnut, coconut, arecanut, cashew and mango; 

 

(d) “annual family income” means the aggregate of the annual income from all 
sources of all the members of a family; 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –19–  Debt Relief Act 

(e) “Board” means the Debt Relief Board established under section 7; 
 

(f) “creditor” means a person to whom a debtor owes a debt; 
 

(g) “debt” includes all liabilities owing to a creditor in cash or in kind, secured or 
unsecured, payable under a decree or order of a civil court or otherwise whether due or 
not due, but does not include— 
 

(i) any rent or compensation due in respect of any property let out to a debtor; 
 

(ii) any liability arising out of breach of trust or any tertious liability;  
 

(iii) any liability in respect of wages or remuneration due as salary or otherwise 
for services rendered; 

 

(iv) any liability in respect of maintenance whether under a decree of a civil court 
or otherwise; 

 

(v) any sum recoverable as arrears of land revenue; 
 

(vi) any debt due to— 
 

(1) the Central Government or any State Government or the administration or 
Government of any Union territory, or any local authority or a co-operative society; 

 

(2) a banking company as defined in clause (c) of section 5 of the Banking Regulation 
Act, 1949 (Central Act 10 of 1949), the State Bank of India constituted under the State 
Bank of India Act, 1955 (Central Act 23 of 1955), a subsidiary bank as defined in the 
State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 (38  of 1959), a corresponding new 
bank specified in the First  Schedule to the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer 
of Undertakings) Act, 1970 (Central Act 5 of 1970), a Regional Rural Bank established 
under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Regional  Rural Banks Act, 1976 (Central Act 21 
of 1976), or any banking institution notified by the Central Government under section 51 
of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (Central Act 10 of 1949); 

 

(3) any co-operative land development bank or any other co-operative institution 
registered under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 (Maharashtra Act 
XXIV of 1961) as extended to the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu; 

 
(4) the Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation established under the 

Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation Act, 1963 (Central Act 10 of 
1963); 

 
(5) any Government company within the meaning of section 617 of the Companies 

Act, 1956 (Central Act 1 of 1956); 
 
(6) the Life Insurance Corporation of India established under the Life Insurance 

Corporation Act, 1956 (Central Act 3 of 1956), or to any other Corporation established by 
or under any other law for the time being in force; 

 
(7) any other banking or financial institution which may be notified in this behalf by 

the Government in the Official Gazette; 
 

(h) “debtor” means an agricultural labourer, a rural artisan, a marginal farmer or a 
small farmer, who owes a debt; 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –20–  Debt Relief Act 

 (i) “family”, in relation to a person, means the individual, the wife or husband, as 
the case may be, of such individual and their unmarried minor children; 

Explanation.— For the purpose of this clause, “minor” means a person who has not 
completed his or her age of eighteen years. 

 (j) “foro” means the annuity or amount that an emphyteuta of a property pays 
annually to the direct owner; 

Explanation 1.— “emphyteuta” means a person who is given possession of, or has 
full ownership of, a property by a contract of emphyteuse; 

Explanation 2.— “emphyteuse”, means a contract by which the owner of a  
property transfers the possession or full ownership of the property to another  
and the transferee binds himself to pay an annuity to the owner which is calledforo; 

(k) “Government” means the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu; 

(l) “marginal farmer” means a person who owns land measuring,— 

(i) not more than two hectares of un-irrigated land, if he is a member of a 
Scheduled Tribe; or 

(ii) not more than one hectare of un-irrigated land in any other case, and who 
cultivates personally such land, and includes a person who cultivates such land as a 
tenant or share-cropper. 

Explanation 1.— For  the purposes of clause (l) and clause (q) — 

(1) one-third of a hectare of land with an assured supply of water for irrigation and 
capable of yielding at least two crops in a year, that is to say, land irrigated seasonally as 
well as perennially by flow irrigation by a Government owned and managed lift or from 
any source constructed or maintained by the Government or any local authority, or from 
any other natural source of water; or 

(2) one-half of a hectare of land which has an assured supply of water for only one 
crop in a year, that  is to say, land irrigated— 

(a) seasonally by flow irrigation from any source constructed or maintained by the 
Government or any local authority or from any other natural source of water; or 

(b) perennially by a lift, other than a lift referred to in clause (1), from any source 
constructed or maintained by the Government or any local authority, or from any other 
natural source of water; or  

(c) perennially from a privately owned well situated on the land within  
the irrigable command of any irrigation project, or in the bed of a river stream  
or natural collection of water or drainage channel which is a perennial source of  
water; or 

(3) two-thirds of a hectare of land irrigated seasonally by flow irrigation from any 
source constructed or maintained by the Government or any local authority, or from any 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –21–  Debt Relief Act 

other natural source of water with an unassured water supply, that is to say water supply 
is given under water sanctions which are temporary or where such sanctions are regulated 
on the basis of availability of water in the storage shall be equated to one hectare of un-
irrigated land; 

 

Explanation 2.— Where a person owns and cultivates personally or cultivates  
as a tenant or share-cropper, land falling under any one or more of the categories 
specified in clauses (1) to (3) of Explanation 1 together with un-irrigated land, if any, the 
land so owned or cultivated shall, for the purposes of clause (l) and clause (q), be 
converted into un-irrigated land in accordance with the principles specified in 
Explanation, and if any question arises as to which of the categories specified in the said 
Explanation any land belongs, it shall be decided by the Board whose decision thereon 
shall be final; 

 

(m) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette; 
 

(n) “Official Gazette” means the Goa, Daman and Diu Government Gazette; 
 

(o) “prescribed” means  prescribed by rules made under this  Act; 
 
(p) “rural artisan” means a person who does not own any agricultural land and 

whose principal means of livelihood is production or repair of traditional tools, 
implements and other articles or things used for agriculture or purposes ancillary 
thereto and includes a person who normally earns his livelihood by practising any craft 
either by his own labour or by the labour of all or any of the members of his family in 
a rural area. 

 

(q) “small farmer” means a person who owns land measuring— 
 

(i) more than two hectares but not exceeding four hectares of un-irrigated land if 
he is a member of a Schedule Tribe or Scheduled Caste; or 

 
(ii) more than one hectare but less than two hectares of un-irrigated land in any 

other case, and who cultivates personally such land, and includes a person who 
cultivates such land as a tenant or share-cropper. 

 
 

CHAPTER II 
 

Moratorium 
 

3. Stay of  suits, etc.— Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the 
time being in force or in any contract, custom or usage to the contrary,— 

 

(i) no court shall entertain any suit, application or proceeding against a debtor in 
respect of any debt incurred by him; 

 
(ii) all suits, applications or proceedings in relation to the recovery of debt pending 

before a court shall abate on the date of coming into force of this Act. 
 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –22–  Debt Relief Act 

CHAPTER III 
 

Liquidation of certain debts 
 

 

4. Discharge of certain debts.— Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law 
for the time being  in force or in any contract or other instrument having the force of law, 
and save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, every debt outstanding on date of 
commencement of this Act including the amount of interest, if any, payable by an 
agricultural labourer or a rural artisan either of whose annual family income does not 
exceed  two thousand and four hundred rupees or a marginal farmer shall be deemed to be 
wholly discharged, and the consequences as hereinafter set forth shall, with effect from 
that  day ensue, namely,—  

 
(a) no such debt due from the debtor shall be recoverable from him, or from or 

against, any movable or immovable property belonging to him, nor shall any such 
property be liable to be attached and sold or proceeded against in any manner in the 
execution of any decree or order relating to such debt against him; 

 
(b) no court shall entertain any suit or proceedings against such debtor for the 

recovery of any debt, including interest, if any: 
 

Provided that, where a suit or proceeding is instituted jointly against such debtor and 
any other person, nothing in this clause shall apply to the maintainability of a suit or 
proceeding in so far as it relates to such other person; 

 
(c) all suits, applications and proceedings (including appeals, revisions, attachment 

or execution proceedings) pending on the day of coming into force of this Act for the 
recovery of any such debt against such debtor shall abate: 

 
Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to the sale of— 
 

(i) any movable property, held and concluded before the day of coming into force 
of this Act; 

 
(ii) any immovable property, confirmed before the day of coming into force of 

this Act; 
 

(d) every debtor undergoing detention in prison in the execution of any decree for 
money passed against him by any court in respect of any such debt shall be released 
forthwith; 

 
(e) every property pledged or mortgaged by such debtor shall stand released  in 

favour of such debtor and  the creditor shall be bound to return the same to the debtor 
forthwith. 
 
Explanation.— Nothing in this section shall be construed as to entitle any such debtor 

to the refund of any part of a debt already repaid by him or recovered from him before the 
date of coming into force of this Act. 



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5. Power of District Magistrate to enforce delivery of possession of property to 
debtor.— Where a creditor fails to return the property to the debtor forthwith as  
required by clause (e) of section (4) or the debtor is opposed or impeded in taking 
possession of the property, the debtor may, subject to the provisions of section 6, request 
the District Magistrate to enforce delivery of possession of such property and the District 
Magistrate shall take or cause to be taken such steps or use or cause to be used such force 
as may be reasonably necessary for securing the delivery of possession of the property to 
the debtor. 

 
6. Board to determine certain questions.—  If any question arises as to whether any 

person is a debtor entitled to benefits under this Chapter, the Board may, on an 
application made to it by the debtor or any of his creditors and after giving the parties 
concerned a reasonable opportunity of being heard, determine the said question. 

 
 
 

CHAPTER  IV 
 

Debt Relief Board 
 

  

7. Establishment of Debt Relief Board.— (1) For the purposes of this Act, the 
Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish a Board to be called 
the Debt Relief Board consisting of one or more members, as it thinks fit, to exercise the 
powers and discharge the functions conferred on the Board by or under this Act: 

 
Provided that where the Board consists of one member, that member shall be a person 

who has held a civil judicial post for at least ten years or who has been a member of the 
Central Legal Service (not below Grade III) for at least three years or who has been in 
practice as an advocate for at least ten years, and where the Board consists of more than 
one member, one such member shall be a person qualified as aforesaid. 

 
(2) Where the number of members of the Board is more than one, the Government 

shall appoint one of those members to be the Chairman of the Board. 
 
(3) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), the qualifications and other conditions 

of service of the member or members constituting the Board and the period for which 
such member or members shall hold office shall be such as may be determined by the 
Government. 

 
(4) Where the number of members of the Board is more than one and if the members 

differ in opinion on any point, that point shall be decided according to the opinion of the 
majority, if there is a majority, but if the members are equally divided, the decision of the 
Chairman of the Board thereon shall be final. 

 
8. Members of Board deemed to be public servants.— The members of the Board 

shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian  
Penal Code, 1860 (Central Act 45 of 1860). 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –24–  Debt Relief Act 

9. Board to have certain powers of civil court.— The Board shall have, for the 
purposes of this Act, all the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit under the Code of 
Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act 5 of 1908), in relation to the following matters, 
namely:— 

 
(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him 

on oath; 

(b) requiring the discovery and production of any documents; 

(c) taking evidence on affidavits; 

(d) requisitioning any public record from any court or office; 

(e) issuing commissions for the inspection of property or for the examination of 
witnesses; 

(f) inspection of property; 

(g) any other matter which may be prescribed. 
 
 

CHAPTER V 
 

Procedure for settlement of debts 
 
10.  Application for settlement of debt.— (1) A debtor or any of his creditors may 

make an application to the Board within such time as may be prescribed to effect a 
settlement between the debtor and his creditors. 

 
(2) Every application made under sub-section (1) shall be in the prescribed form and 

shall be signed by the applicant and verified in the prescribed manner. 
 
(3) Every application presented by a debtor to the Board shall contain the following 

particulars, namely:— 

(a) the place where he resides or holds land;  

(b) the particulars of all claims against him together with names and residences of 
his creditors; 

(c) the particulars of all his property, together with specification of the value  
of such property and the place or places at which any such property is to be  
found; 

(d) the particulars of his family income; 

(e) a statement whether he has previously filed an application in respect of the same 
debt before the Board and, if so, with what result. 



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 (4) Every application presented by a creditor shall contain the following particulars, 
namely:— 

(a) the place where the debtor resides or holds land; 

(b) the amount and particulars of his claim against such debtor; 

(c) a statement containing the particulars of property if any, pledged or mortgaged 
with him by a debtor, the specification of its value and the place or places where the 
property is to be found. 
 
11. Assignee from non-debtor not entitled to benefit of this Act.— No application 

shall lie under section 10 for the settlement of any debt due from a debtor to whom such 
debt has been transferred or assigned by any person who is not a debtor. 

 
12. Consolidation of applications.— (a) Where two or more applications for 

settlement of debts under section 10 are presented by or against the same debtor; or 
 

(b) where separate applications are presented by or against joint debtors under that 
section, 
 

all such applications shall be consolidated and heard together. 
 
13. Service of notice on debtors  and creditors to submit  statement of debts.—  

On the receipt of an application under section 10, the Board shall summon the defendant 
and the procedure for the service of summons will be the same as laid down from the 
sections 27 to 29 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (Central Act 5 of 1908). 

 
14. Debts in respect of which no application for settlement is made to be void.— 

Every debt due from a debtor in respect of which no application has been made  
under section 10 within the time prescribed under the said section and every debt due 
from a debtor in respect of which no statement or reply is submitted to the Board by the 
creditor in compliance with the provisions of section 13, shall be deemed to be 
discharged. 

 
15. Power of Board to effect settlement and decide disputes as to existence or 

amount of debt or assets.— The Board shall fix a date for the hearing of an application 
made under section 10 and on the date so fixed, shall call upon the applicant and  
all his creditors or debtors, as the case may be, to explain their respective cases regarding 
each debt and shall proceed to take accounts in the manner hereinafter provided. 

 
16. Mode of taking accounts.— (1) The Board shall inquire into an application made 

under section 10 and take account of all the transactions subsisting between the parties 
and the persons, if any, through whom they claim, out of which the claim has arisen and 
determine the amount due to each of the creditors on the date of the application according 
to the following norms, namely:— 

 (a) separate accounts of principal and interest (hereafter in this section referred to as 
the principal account and interest account, respectively) shall be taken regarding each 
party;  



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –26–  Debt Relief Act 

(b) from the principal account, 
 

(i) there shall be debited to the debtor only such money as may, from time to 
time, have been actually received by him or on his account from the creditor and the 
price of goods, if any, sold to him by the creditor; 

 
(ii) there shall be credited to the debtor all such money already paid by the debtor 

towards the debt or towards the price of goods, if any, sold by him to the creditor; 
 
Explanation.— In case the debtor proves to the satisfaction of the Board, through 

documentary or oral evidence, that the debtor received an amount less than the one 
indicated by the creditor towards principal, such amount actually received by the debtor 
shall be debited as principal amount due to the account of the debtor; 

 
(c) from the interest account, 

 
(i) there shall be debited to the debtor all the interest amounts due and claimed by 

the creditor, from the date the principal amount was borrowed upto the date of the 
application, the revenue or taxes paid to the Government or to the local authority by 
the creditor on behalf of the debtor and such other amount lent by the creditor;  

 
(ii) there shall be credited to the debtor, all the interest amounts paid to the 

creditor upto the date of the application, the revenue or taxes paid to the 
Government or to the local authority by the debtor on behalf of the creditor, the rent 
collected by the creditor through the utilisation of such income or rent on certain 
and specific immovable properties and such other amount paid to the creditor on 
account of the loan, provided that, for sufficient reasons to be recorded, such 
amount is acceptable to the Board as being so paid; 

 

(iii) there shall be credited or debited, as the case may be, all the amounts paid as 
foro. 

 
(2) All moneys paid by or on account of the debtor to the creditor or on his account 

and all profits, service or other advantages of every description received by the creditor in 
the course of the transaction (estimated, if necessary, at such money value as the Board 
may determine in the manner prescribed) shall be credited first in the interest account as 
provided in clause (c) of sub-section (1), and, when the amounts so credited are found to 
be in excess of the debit balance in the interest account, such excess amount shall be 
credited to the debtor in the principal account. 

 
(3) The accounts of principal and interest shall be made upto the date of the 

application, and not withstanding anything contained in any other law custom, contract, 
award or decree of a civil court, the respective balance amounts, if any, appearing as due 
on both, the principal and interest accounts against the debtor, on that date, shall be 
deemed to be the amount due on that date. 

 
17. Fraudulent alienations or encumbrances void.— (1) If, in the course of the 

hearing of an application made under section 10, the Board finds that the debtor has made 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –27–  Debt Relief Act 

an alienation of property or created an encumbrance thereon with intent to defeat or delay 
the payment to any of his creditors, the Board shall, by notice, summon the debtor and the 
person in whose favour the alienation or encumbrance is made or created, to appear 
before it on a day to be specified in the notice. 

 
(2) On the day specified in the notice or on such other day to which the hearing may be 

adjourned, the Board shall hear the parties and record evidence as may be produced and, 
if it is satisfied that the alienation was made or the encumbrance was created with intent 
to defeat or delay the payment to any of the creditors of the debtor, the Board shall 
declare the alienation or encumbrance to be void. 

 
18. Board’s duty to determine paying capacity.— (1) After taking account under 

section 16, the Board shall, in the manner provided in sub-section (2) determine the 
paying capacity of the debtor. 

 
(2) The paying capacity of the debtor shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to 

be— 

 (a) seven times of twenty per cent. of the gross value of— 

 (i) his annual family income in the case of agricultural labourer or a rural artisan, 
or  

 (ii) the annual agricultural produce of his land in the case of small farmer; or 

 (b) the amount equivalent to twice the principal amount, 

whichever is lower. 
 
19. Maximum amount allowable in repayment of a debt.— (1) If in the course of 

taking accounts before the Board, it is found that any of the creditors has received from 
his debtor twice or more than twice the amount of the principal in cash or in kind, the 
Board shall pass an order that the debt shall be deemed to have been fully discharged and 
shall further declare that the debtor shall, from the date of the order, be in lawful 
possession of the property secured for the debt: 

 
Provided that if the creditor has received from his debtor more than twice the amount 

of the principal, the Board shall also pass an order directing the creditor to refund the 
amount received in excess of twice the amount of principal to the debtor. 

 
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1), if, in the course of the proceeding 

before the Board, it is found that the debtor owes to the creditor any sum either as 
principal or as interest or on account of both, the Board shall pass an order that the debtor 
shall repay in annual instalments, not exceeding seven, an amount equivalent  
to— 

 
(a) the amount determined as his paying capacity under section 18; or 

 

(b) the amount actually found due to the creditor, 
 

whichever is less. 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –28–  Debt Relief Act 

(3) If there are more than one creditors, the Board shall also pass an order directing 
that the amount determined under sub-section (2) shall be distributed to all the creditors 
rateably. 

 
(4) The order passed by the Board under sub-section (2) shall be in full satisfaction of 

the debt due from the debtor and the balance of the debt, if any, in excess of that amount 
shall be extinguished. 

 
20. Appeal from orders of Board.— (1) Any  person aggrieved by any order of the 

Board under this Act may, within thirty days from the date of the order, appeal to the 
Administrative Tribunal: 

 
Provided that if the Administrative Tribunal is satisfied that the appellant was 

prevented from sufficient cause from preferring the appeal within the said period of thirty 
days, it may entertain the appeal within a further period of thirty days but not thereafter. 

 

 (2) The order passed by the Administrative Tribunal shall be final. 

 
CHAPTER  VI 

 
Miscellaneous 

 

21. Execution of orders.— An order made under this Act by the Board or the 
Administrative Tribunal, shall be executable by it as a decree of a civil court and for this 
purpose it shall have  the powers of a civil court.  

 
22. Bar on courts.— No court shall entertain— 
 

(a) any suit, appeal or application for revision— 
 

(i) to question the validity of any procedure or the legality of any order passed 
under this Act; or 

 
 (ii) to recover any debt deemed to have been duly discharged under the 

provisions of this Act; 
 

(b) any application to execute a decree passed by a court against a debtor; 
 

 (c) any suit for declaration, or any suit or application for injunction effecting any 
proceedings under this Act before a Board or Administrative Tribunal. 
 
23. Penalty for molestation.— Whoever molests, or abets the molestation of, a debtor 

for the recovery of a debt by him to a creditor shall, on conviction, be punishable with 
imprisonment of either description, which may extend to one year or with fine which may 
extend to two thousand rupees or with both. 

 
Explanation.— For the purposes of this section, a person who— 
 

(a) uses violence to or intimidates a debtor, or  



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –29–  Debt Relief Act 

(b) obstructs or persistently follows a debtor from place to place or interferes with 
any property owned or used by him or deprives him of or hinders him in the use 
thereof, or  
 

(c) loiters near a house or other place where a debtor resides or works for gain, or 
carries on business or happens to be, or does any act calculated to annoy or intimidate 
a debtor 
 
shall be deemed to molest a debtor. 
 
24. Certain offences to be cognizable.— Notwithstanding anything contained in the 

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974), offences punishable under 
this Act or any rule made thereunder shall be cognizable. 

 
25. Protection of action taken in good faith.— No suit, prosecution or other legal 

proceeding shall lie against the Government, any officer of Government, any member  
of the Board or Administrative Tribunal for anything which is in good faith done or 
intended to be done in accordance with the provisions of this Act or any rule made 
thereunder. 

 
26. Appearance of party before Board by agent or by legal practitioner.— In any 

proceedings under this Act, any party may be represented by an agent authorised in 
writing or, with the permission of the Board or Administrative Tribunal, by a legal 
practitioner. 

 
27. Remission of interest.— A debtor shall not be liable to pay interest upon any debt 

for the period during  which proceedings are stayed under this Act. 
 
28. Power to make rules.— (1) The Government may, by notification in the Official 

Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 
 (2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such 

rules may provide for—  
 

(a) the matters referred to in clause (g) of section 9; 
 
(b) the time within which and the form in which applications shall be made to the 

Board and the manner in which such applications shall be signed and verified under 
section 10; 

 
(c) the form of the statements to be submitted by the debtor and creditors under that 

section; 
 
(d) the fees payable on applications and appeals; 
 
(e) the registers to be maintained by the Board; 
 
(f) any other matter which has to be or may be prescribed. 



Manual of Goa Laws (Vol. II)  –30–  Debt Relief Act 

(3) Every rule made under this Act shall, immediately after it is made, be laid before 
the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu if it is in session and if it is not in 
session, in the session immediately following, for a total period of fourteen days which 
may be comprised in one session or two successive sessions, and if before the expiration 
of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the Assembly 
agrees in making any modification in the rule or in the annulment of the rule, the rule 
shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or shall stand annulled, as the case 
may be, so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to 
the validity of anything previously done under that rule. 

 
29. Repeal.— The Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Indebtedness (Temporary Relief) 

Act, 1976 (9 of 1976) is hereby repealed. 
 
 

  
Secretary, U. D. SHARMA, 
Panaji, Secretary to the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu, 
Dated: 11th August, 1981. Law Department (Legal Advice).