MARGAO: A complaint has been filed against former MLA Subhash Shirodkar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office bearers and Government officials for allegedly escalating rates to purchase land in Shiroda.
The complaint has been filed under Section 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act by Kashinath Shetye, Ketan Govekar, Mukundraj Mudras, Desmond Alvaris, and eight others at the Panjim Police Station.
The complainants have alleged that Shirodkar, while he was an MLA has committed an act of corruption by resigning from the Legislative Assembly after being offered the Chairmanship of EDC. They further alleged that an escalated amount was paid for the acquisition of Shirodkar’s land causing a loss to the exchequer.
Citing the Judgement of the Supreme Court in Lalita Kumar v/s State of UP to register an FIR, the complainants said that any direct or indirect gratification and favours fall within the preview of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the complainants, Goa Government acquired 1,83,524 sq mts of orchard land in Shiroda from Shirodkar at a very exorbitant price of Rs 70 crore, of which Rs 17 crore had been transferred to the sellers.
In the complaint, it is stated that the land was purchased by Shirodkar and his three brothers via a firm Vedanta Real Estate Developers for a mere Rs 45 per sq mt in 2006 and it is questionable that why the Government had to acquire the land for Rs 3500 per sq mt.
The complainants stated that officials in the Industries Department, which purchased the land, have no clue about why the land was acquired. They also quoted an unnamed official of the Department who they claim has stated that “Land acquisition by the Government is always for a particular purpose, but here, the land is being acquired by Industries Department without having any plan in place for what purpose the acquired land would be used”.
According to the complainants another landowner had by a letter dated April 5, 2018 addressed to the Chief Secretary offered the government 1,40,650 sq mts of his land in Shiroda for Rs 350 a sq mt and a copy of that letter had been also sent to the Cabinet Advisory Committee comprising Ministers Sudin Dhavalikar, Francis D’Souza and Vijai Sardesai.
Speaking to Herald, Kashinath Shetye informed that the MLAs have been resigning for plump posts which is bribery. “Their resignation causes a huge loss to the exchequer in terms of by poll expenditure,” Shetye said.
