Are RP2021 conversions returns for bribes?
It’s early days yet and the full truth of the black money paid in 2007 being used to colour plots with brown on settlement maps of RP 2021 is still to emerge. However, a preliminary study done by the Goa Bachao Abhiyan is enough to indicate that these are dangerous warning signals. To start with, the IT assessment report of controversial and seemingly corrupt bureaucrat N Suryanarayana, has ripped apart the thin veneer of honesty regarding land conversions. The assessment report is limited to Surayanana and his illegal transactions, directly with his middlemen Sadiq Shaikh and Pradeep Paleykar and indirectly with others, like education minister Babush Monseratte. The most important document, which relates to money paid for conversions, is a part of a document recovered from Suryanarayana that details the places, area and the bribes paid for conversions of specific lands. When the survey numbers of these lands were identified (and the GBA does have access to information on TCP), it was noticed that in many of these places, all or some of the survey numbers have been converted or settlement in the regional Plan of 2021.
The beneficiaries of this conversion largely are Adarsh Realty from Bangalore who own these lands in Majorda and Cavelossim and Varca. In Varca, rice fields have been converted to settlement. In Suranayarana’s tax assessment order, incriminating documents revealed that the bribes paid for plot conversions in Majorda, Cavellosim and Varca were Rs 1.5 crores, 1.75 crores and 1.25 crores. These amounts were paid to middleman Sadiq Shaikh and facilitated by Pradeep Paleykar. This begs the question. Were these conversions done in RP2021 to honour those kickbacks? Even if Adarsh Realty had nothing to do with kickbacks, an investigation is needed to trace the link chain between Adarsh Realty and the syndicate of Surayanarayana that bought and sold land.
What is vital is to immediately investigate, under whose recommendation were these lands converted? The State Level Committee, which authored the Regional Plan 2021, in its representations to editors of newspapers, confidently asserted that they have details of every conversion right down to who recommended it and invited anyone to take a look at any specific conversion. The time has now come for the State Level Committee to deliver on that promise. Herald calls for the committee and the TCP to tell us on whose recommendation were the specific conversions of lands for which bribes were paid for in RP 2011, converted in RP2021. For a detailed chart of these properties and their survey numbers, please refer to our page 1 story in today’s edition detailing them. The people of Goa seek clarity because these suspicions, heightened by initial documentary evidence, almost confirm the basic charge Goans and Herald have been making. And the charge is that at some level, probably unknown to the State level committee, bribes have been taken or pressure applied by powerful bribe takers to mark zones for the benefit of huge builders, most of them from outside Goa. That charge sticks.
For the State Level Committee, this boils down to a matter of honour. If plots have been converted on the basis of bribe money earlier paid, it will be a huge embarrassment to the eminent personalities in the State Level Committee who have immensely disliked Herald’s continuous probing of all aspects of the Regional Plan, which have belied people’s aspirations. The process of taking zones earlier marked as no development or orchard even in the draft Regional Plan and converting them to settlement areas is the story of RP 2021. Your newspaper said it as it is. The State Level Committee took it as a personal affront to their integrity as men of eminence and even prevailed upon the government to issue a strongly worded warning to Herald of legal action. The men of eminence need to introspect. Was their fair name being misused to formulate a plan that had the same deficiencies and corrupt practices? And were any of them aware at any stage that pressures were put to change zone and make certain markings to benefit a powerful person or lobby.
The tragedy of the Regional Plan 2021 is that this was a plan of the people, by the people and for the people. The people of Goa thought it was their plan. What has happened is that when their plans left their villages and entered the big bad world of the state headquarters, people who have no concern for Goa and its people’s have taken over to maximize monetary benefits from our land. Shamefully, the culprits don’t just include real estate sharks. They include our politicians too.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
+++
PEOPLE’SEDIT
The compromise for power
O D Olivera
Corruption, the rule of the rupee, rising prices, glorification of criminals, scarcity of common commodities, the general mayhem we are seeing in today’s India leads me to title this piece the way I have. When we look at the compulsions that drive our politicians today we are left wondering whether we are going to survive another election without floundering in our own mess!
Some of you may wonder at my use of the term “prostitution”. While the classic meaning refers to the selling of sexual favours for money, what we are seeing today is the selling of governance to the highest bidder, be it voter blocs or captains of industry. Much of the latter can be pinned down to the ubiquitous licence raj!
The rule of ego and greed have taken over the selflessness of our founding fathers. Today, if one done does not agree with the party line, one rebels and forms one’s own party! What matters is what can be gained in the power sharing along with political and personal benefits derived from position and graft. The prime reason for this state of affairs seems to be the multiplicity of political parties all vying for a piece of the power pie.
I can’t help recalling Winston Churchill’s words while he argued against giving us independence in June 1947 when Clement Attlee, the then Prime Minister of England, introduced the Indian Independence Act in the British Parliament: “Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air and water… would be taxed in India.” Prophetic, don’t you think?
The few well-meaning politicians like our PM are bewildered by the demands of power-sharing. They have become Churchill’s men of straw simply because they always have to keep in mind the balance of power. The demands of the various parties have to be met in order to maintain the status quo. Compromise seems to be the name of the game. No doubt, compromise is the essence of resolving all conflicts in human relations. However, this is the root of the ineffectiveness of governance or the lack thereof. Party and industrial considerations govern the decision-making which often leads to a paralysis of governance. The spectre of losing power is enough to call up personal and party conflicts! The larger public interest can go to hell!
