Allotment to be cancelled, to start afresh

TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In a major decision the State Government has decided to cancel the allotment of all plots in the Rajiv Gandhi IT habitat, Dona Paula, and revert the plots for fresh allotment. It has cited several financial defaults and violations of the terms and conditions of the lease deed as reasons for the decision.
The cabinet this week resolved to revoke allotment of 18 plots ranging up to 40,000 sqm for the setting up of Information Technology Software Park. The Infotech Corporation had also created four sub-plots for the use of supporting facilities.
The Government has also proposed to bring in The Goa (Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat –Cancellation/Abolition and Regulation of Allotment of Plots) Bill, 2012 and a proposal to this effect has been approved.
While in Opposition, BJP had raised the issue on the floor of the House demanding to scrap the allotment. The project which ran into controversy right from the start, came to be stalled in December 2007 thanks to violent protests by the locals at the project site. A government official who did not want to be identified said there had been several complaints alleging irregularities in the allotment.
Also a Margao based NGO, Nitoll Jinn Trust (NJT) went to High Court complaining of gross irregularities in allotment of plots and prayed that the Court should set aside the allotment. The petition is still pending before High Court.
Though the then Congress-led government launched the IT habitat with much fanfare, it had to finally put the project in cold storage. The entire project came to a grinding halt and further, no allottee has undertaken any activity whatsoever at the site for the IT project, said government sources.
According to the government official several encroachments have come up on the site, and if the land is left in the present state, then there will be more encroachments.