Team Herald
PANJIM: Demanding Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s resignation over alleged purchase of large tracts of land in Maharashtra’s Dodamarg District, Congress party has sought Prime Minister’s intervention to seek explanation from his party cadre.
Addressing media persons on Saturday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) national spokesman Pawan Khera also alleged that the group of people from Dodamarg seeking merger with Goa are backed by Sawant, for his investment interest.
“There is complete conflict of interest. Chief Minister is busy buying land in Dodamarg. The way Goa CM is buying properties is clear that he has an ambition to emerge as one of the biggest land lord amongst all CMs,” he said.
“We demand immediate resignation of Chief Minister for conflict of interest. We also seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to seek explanation from Sawant,” Khera said demanding to know whether PMO knows about such purchase of land by a sitting CM of his party.
Pointing to Chief Minister’s 2017 affidavit, Congress leader said that during his tenure as chairman of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), Sawant had purchased 2,966 acres of land at Dodamarg for a mere price of Rs 38 lakh in 2016.
Again, he said in October this year, Sawant and his wife purchased 17,800 sq mts and 3,200 sq mts land for Rs 14 lakh and Rs 36 lakh, respectively.
“In Maharashtra, the land ceiling is 54 acres for agricultural land. You cannot buy more than that even if you are CM. We want to know how come the rule was bent for Sawant,” he questioned.
“His love for land is known by everyone and hence he is called ‘Property Sawant’,” Khera charged.
Khera also accused Sawant of lobbying along with the locals in Maharashtra to merge Dodamarg area into Goa.
“We have come to know that the group demanding merger is backed by Sawant. All this is for his investment interest,” he said.
