PANJIM: Generation Next has alleged that influential political leaders in the ruling party are using the land acquisition weapon to blackmail the landlords to grab the prime properties.
Addressing the media in Panjim, GenNext President Johnson D’Silva said that “acquiring land under various schemes and for developmental projects” is the latest modus operandi adopted by the politicians to grab land.
GenNext said the Housing Board Corporation acquired land to give benefit to an individual. D’Silva said that he was not aware who the beneficiary is — whether an individual or a politician.
“We have filed the complaint with all the documents with the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to investigate the details of the acquisition,” D’Silva said.
D’Silva pointed out that the acquisition of a huge property at Neura Tiswadi was purposely allowed to lapse, despite several reminders from the North Goa collector.
This is the second case wherein the Housing Board cleared conversion of orchad land for the benefit of a private party.
In the first case, the then chairman of the Housing Board and former minister Nilkanth Halarnkar is an accused.
The process of land acquisition of the Neura property was started in 2006, however, the government approved the acquisition in the year 2008 and deposited the compensation funds of RS 50,00,000 with the EDC. But unfortunately the process lapsed in 2014 whereas the entire property has been cleared by the government.
“We demand thorough investigation since the year 2006 till now, and also to inquire all dealing hands in the Goa Housing Board Corporation. Till now two cases have been exposed, but it is the duty of ACB to find out more, if any,” D’Silva said.
