PANJIM: Claiming it as “need of the hour”, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane has urged citizens to “go all out” to trap the corrupt officials, even by exposing them through social media, if required.
In a video message released to the people of Goa on Saturday, Rane announced to release a special dedicated mobile number, wherein people can register complaints or send videos, in a bid to expose and curb corruption in the TCP and Forest Departments.
Rane is also the Forest Minister. “Let me make it very clear. Nobody, in my departments should take bribes and nothing will be entertained. I appeal people to go all out no problem. You can use your phones, you can use whatever mechanism you want if you feel somebody is trying to exploit you and expose such people…record videos…expose through social media or any other means. This is the need of the hour,” the Minister said.
“I am going to share a phone number where you can complain about corruption, put recorded voices of people and share it on social media. There will be fear for everybody. If he tries to take a bribe then you should make sure that you trap such people and expose them. I will be very strict in such matters. Whether it is a person from public life or he is a person on any other front,” he added.
The department, which is been at the centre of controversies over corruption, went through a major revamp, just a month ago, when the government decided to grant online approvals for all types of buildings up to a built up area of 5000 sq mts.
The government has also revised hierarchical level of powers to various officers, right from taluka level to Chief Town Planner (CTP) for grants of technical clearances for building projects and land development proposals. The government has already dissolved a committee headed by the Minister for TCP, constituted for recommending proposals based on Regional Plan 2021.
