ACB initiates inquiry into Colvale land scam
To question Housing Minister Halankar
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 24
Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has initiated a preliminary inquiry into Colvale land scam involving the Housing Minister Nilkant Halankar.
ACB officials said that the minister will soon be called for questioning after it wraps up questioning present and past Goa Housing Board members.
“We have already begun a preliminary inquiry based on a complaint by 13 social activists against the minister. We will soon question the minister, as the complainants alleged that the GHB land was allotted to a trust owned by Halankar,” ACB officials said.
Kashinath Shetye, Ketan Govekar and 11 others in their complaint to the ACB alleged land conversion scam at Colvale.
“Chairman of the GHB apparently in an effort to channel lands acquired for the projects of the GHB, to his own use, has chosen to abuse his position in power as Minister for Housing and Chairman of the GHB has made a show of allotting Trust which he heads…,” the letter reads.
The officials said that a case will be registered only if offenses leveled against the GHB are proven. “We have finished questioning engineering and planning section of the GHB. As a part of the inquiry, all relevant files are attached,” said an investigating team member.
The complainants said that this has resulted a loss to the exchequer of more than about Rs 57-lakh. The complainants also pointed out that the Chairman allotted 23,000 m2 at a throwaway price of Rs 1000 per m2 which land is worth about Rs 4,200 m2, to an institute of hotel management and the ownership is not known. They have estimated a loss of Rs 7.36 crores to the exchequer through the alleged illegalities.
Halankar, who is also the tourism minister and Nationalist Congress Party legislator is facing crusade by his own party to resign from the cabinet. Halankar and Revenue Minister (also NCP legislator) Philip D’Souza are facing party-level inquiry for lobbying with Congress leaders.
Both are asked to quit the cabinet, which will pave way to induct former tourism minister Francisco Pacheco.
The complaint is registered after the complainants moved Judicial Magistrate First Class accusing police of not registering the case. The Court had served notices on Vigilance officers and GHB officials in this connection.
