PANJIM: A day after forming a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe cases related to illegal land grabbing through fraudulent tactics, the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the government has come across 60-70 cases, including their own land been fraudulently transferred as part of “huge land scam”.
Following series of reports by HERALD exposing land grabbing cases, the State government on Wednesday constituted SIT led by the superintendent of police, Crime Branch, Nidhin Valsan, and has six others, including the Deputy Collector of South Goa, Snehal Prabhu, and deputy superintendent of police Braz Menezes, Police Inspector Satish Gaude, PI (IRB) Nilesh Shirodkar and representatives from the departments of archeology and the state registrar.
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Speaking to media persons, Sawant said that SIT will investigate each and every case and necessary action will be taken.
“There are many police complaints about the fraudulent sale of land. The archaeology department has also filed similar cases…the registration department has received complaints about the sale of land with forged documents. There are around 60-70 cases. This is a huge land scam. There are cases in almost all talukas but most are in the coastal areas of Pernem, Bardez and Salcete,” Sawant said.
“Even the government land has been transferred in some cases and we have come to know this too. The land grab cases involve those people, who are Goan origin but residing in foreign countries,” the Chief Minister added.
Sawant said the SIT has been constituted to take swift action. “I appeal to the people to come forward and approach the SIT to report illegal land grabbing and transfer cases.”
While forming SIT, the Chief Minister had said that Goa being one of the most sought after destinations has been the target of such criminals involved in illegal land grabbing.
