PANJIM: Acting tough against illegal land conversions in the State, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday said that he will release the list of politicians and others who had converted tenanted and khazan land and slopes and ensure that such illegal land conversions will be reverted to their original status.
Rane said that all these illegal conversions in the suspended Outline Development Plans (ODPs) will be discussed during the upcoming TCP Board meeting and will be reverted to their original status.
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“We will not allow illegalities any further. Leaders have misused public office and converted tenanted land into commercial and settlement land as per their needs, through which they have earned crores of rupees. During the next Board meeting, we will take a decision to revert back the land which was converted illegally in the suspended ODPs,” Rane said.
He added, “Whatever action to be taken will be as per the law and we will take it to its logical conclusion to expose people, who had abused public office for their personal gain.”
The Minister claimed he will “expose” the names of politicians and leaders involved in the same as the review committee has already prepared a 240-page report on the violation of Land Revenue Code. While in power, these politicians purchased properties worth crores to rupees, he alleged.
Rane had earlier warned that people involved in violation of the Land Revenue Code and TCP Act, will be criminally prosecuted as his direct target was the then Minister and now Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo and his wife MLA Delilah, against whom complaints have been filed. He further hinted at the possible removal of Parra, Nagao, Candolim and Calangute from the jurisdiction of the Planning and Development Areas (PDAs) and reverting the villages to their original status.
A comprehensive report is expected to be tabled on the Floor of the House highlighting all the illegalities and irregularities involving the ODPs, as assured by Rane.
The TCP Department is looking into a complaint from Goa Foundation pertaining to the notified ODP of Arpora designating tenanted agricultural lands as settlement or commercial zones, which, according to Rane, is in explicit violation of the Agricultural Tenancy Act and the Goa Land Use Act 1991.
