PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar took governance in Goa to a new low, by announcing that a fact-finding report into the land dealing for the Golf Course and Villa project, was rejected because the private powerful project proponent opposed the inquiry. The Chief Minister went out of his way to comment on a report which he had literally managed to keep hidden, the report of the very inquiry the government promised to Court, would be made public.
Herald published every aspect and detail of the inquiry to lay bare both the letter and the spirit of the inquiry conducted by Sandip Jacques, Director of the Sports Authority of Goa, when appointed and currently an IAS officer posted outside Goa. The Chief Minister called the report “inconclusive” and announced that he would go ahead with the Tiracol project when the court is yet to conclude whether the land Leadings Hotels bought is tenanted or not.
The CM made a series of shocking statements. “Both the opposing parties were initially not happy with Jacques, as injury officer. They had submitted a memorandum saying that he will not conduct an impartial injury and hence we had not accepted the report. The committee was not formed because there was any order from High Court but because the Advocate General had recommended it,” Parsekar said on Monday.
He added, “I want the hotel and golf course project to happen as it will create employment to locals. Even though on paper it is said as agricultural land, on ground we will have to verify whether it was still under cultivation.”
Earlier, Dy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, speaking to Herald, had said that the government has not accepted the report as it is inconclusive. “Both the parties believe that Sandip Jacques had no authority to summon and inquire into the matter,” D’Souza said.
Jacques was given four points in his terms of reference to inquire into the matter and had submitted the report on December 15,2016. D’Souza said the government had appointed Jacques to find out the facts for the government. “While the report on one side says it is agricultural land, it fails to reach conclusion on tenancy,” he said.
Asked about what is the next step, he said, “Nothing… now we wait for the court directions.”
Meanwhile, the St Anthony’s Tenant Association has demanded a CBI inquiry into the land dealings for the Tiracol Golf Course. The association says that the Jacques report has found the land was indeed agricultural and hence the irregularities committed by the revenue officials need to be investigated.
