PANJIM: A director of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation, may have been quietly removed by the top echelons of government for his consistent pressure applied to the GIDC and the government to file an FIR in the infamous case of the transfer of plots to a company in which Quepem Congress MLA Babu Kavlekar and his family has interests. Kavlekar was Chairman of GIDC when these suspicious land transfers took place. While the current government had promised an inquiry and filed a complaint, the FIR has not been filed for four years now.
Blaise Costabir, past president of Verna Industrial Association (VIA), it is reliably learnt, has been “replaced” in the GIDC board, not long after he publicly raised this issue at a meeting of the Verna Industrial Association, in the presence of the Chief Minister.
A series of emails have been sent by the now former director of GIDC and marked to noted industrialists and chambers in the State. But, none of the emails related to the Mehul case have been replied to by the chairman of the GIDC, Ganesh Gaonkar. (See details of the case in a box)
President Goa State Industry Association (GSIA) and member of Board of GIDC, Sudin Naik, also shot off a strong email to Gaonkar, supporting Costabir. “It is customary and proper by any board room standards and ethics to reply to him regarding his comments regarding Mehul case and inform what decisions you are going to take regarding this matter. This matter was discussed in Board of Directors meetings twice and you (read Gaonkar) had promised the board that due action
will be taken in Mehul case and charges will be filed as it has caused monetary loss to GIDC. You cannot abstain from your responsibility as the chairman of GIDC by keeping silent and not replying or taking any action in this matter,” said Naik.
In an email to Gaonkar on December 12, Costabir wrote, “It has been brought to my notice that I will be replaced in the GIDC board. For me, that is not an issue, it is their prerogative. I am told the notification to this effect is due if not already out as I raised the issues of whether the calculations of the Mehul case is ready.”
The email further stated, “The details were sent to GIDC lawyers to prepare the FIR but the process is held up because the GIDC could not provide the financial loss the GIDC suffered due to this fraud. The areas of loss have been explained to the GIDC officials but for reasons best known to the employees they are refusing to do the same. This despite a Board of Director appointed committee asking for the same.”
The Mehul case relates to 35,000 sqm of land earmarked to Santosh Kusta Desai and 15,000 sqm of land allotted to Vrushal, a company where reportedly the wife of ex-GIDC chairman Babu Kavlekar had interests. The same plot allotted to Santosh Kusta Desai of Quepem was allotted to Mehul Developers of Delhi without following transfer rules and taking the transfer charges.
According to sources, Santosh Kusta Desai (with connections with Babu Kavlekar) got the land parcel at much lower rates and benefited from the higher rates when the land in turn was sold to Mehul Developers.
