PANJIM: The State government finds itself in fix over the land in Quitol, Betul in South Goa, after it came to light that Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has allotted the same land for three different purposes.
Two of the projects involve the Central Government – Union Defence Ministry for holding the annual DefExpo and the Union government and government of France for setting up an Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology. The third project involves a private party – Hospitality Park Private Limited – for setting up a food park.
GIDC has now constituted a three-member committee to study and recommend measures to resolve the controversy. The report is expected to be placed before the Board at its meeting on December 4. The land is also under legal scrutiny and hence cannot be handed over to any other agency.
The Committee, headed by IDC managing director S V Naik, in its preliminary report, revealed that the 6 lakh sq mtrs of land allotted to Union Defence Ministry for the annual DefExpo from March 28 to 31, 2016 is at Quitol village, which is involved in a legal battle. Though IDC claims that land in Naqueri village has been allotted to the Defence ministry, the ministry records speak about land in Quitol village.
In April 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed an agreement with the French government for setting up an Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology, for which Goa government allotted 2 lakh sq mtrs of land in Quitol, which is part of the 6 lakh sq mtrs of land made available to the Defence Ministry.
Moreover, the land is currently in a legal battle as a private firm – Betul Hospitality Park Private Limited – had approached the court in 2007-08, after IDC directed the company to hand back the 2 lakh sq mtrs of land made available to them for setting up a food park. The matter is pending in Court and hence the land cannot be transferred or handed over to any other Central, State or private agency.
“The committee is of the view that 6 lakh sq mtrs of land at Naqueri village be allocated to Defence Ministry and another two lakh in the same village for the Prime Minister’s Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology project,” sources said adding, “There is no need for the Quitol land to be acquired which is in a legal battle.”
