Team Herald
PANJIM: Last week serious allegations were levelled against the State’s Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, that he presided over land conversion of an agricultural property which he himself purchased later by giving the power of attorney to his son.
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The Rs 2.6 crore bungalow was built on agricultural land, while the government trumpets it will not allow conversion of agricultural land. Activists question despite these serious allegations, why is the government silent on the chief secretary’s complicity in this issue?
The property located at Aldona was converted from a paddy field to settlement using the weapon of Section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act. There is a bungalow built on this property which is located right near the river. Diversionary tactics are used by the government to deflect attention from this issue, the activists alleged.
“Why are the Chief Secretary and the government silent on this issue?” asked activist Swapnesh Sherlekar, who unearthed this issue by filing an RTI. “Why isn’t a statement being issued? The day the Congress party led by its Goa president Amit Patkar took out a morcha to the Secretariat to question the Chief Secretary, exactly at that time the TCP Minister called for a press conference at Van Bhavan. Why was this? Was it to divert attention?” Sherlekar asked.
The activists also alleged that an attempt has been made by TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane to give a clean chit to Puneet Kumar Goel who is also the TCP Secretary. “Does Goa government stand by this clean chit? CM has to clarify and give a statement on this. He has to tell the people that there is no hanky panky in the purchase of land by the Chief Secretary. That it is perfectly legal and there are no issues involved. If that is the case why don’t you issue a statement? Stoic silence is not a solution,” Sherlekar stated.
“Vishwajit Rane said he (CS) is a good man. It is not evident that every good man does good things. If you see, even the people of Sattari say the TCP minister is a good man, but see what he does. So we want an official statement from the government that the conversion is legal, following the procedure, that there is no hanky panky. Will he be given a clean chit or will there be any inquiry against him,” Sherlekar questioned.
Activists flagged a clear clash of interest and a quid pro quo between the owners of the land, its conversion and the purchase by the Chief Secretary. “Section 17 (2) board meeting, Puneet Goel sat at the meeting when this conversion was approved. Secondly, all 17(2) projects have to go to the government for approval. The government in this case is the TCP, whose Secretary is the Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel,” architect Tahir Noronha underlined.
Noronha also highlighted that Goel had signed on the plan where the land was converted and then bought it for Rs 2.6 crore. “Did not the experts, who looked at the Google Maps realise that the property comes within the Coastal Regulation Zone? Why did they not ask for an NOC from CRZ? They saw it was a field. They did not ask for an NOC from the Agriculture Department. Goel was former member secretary of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority. He, of all people, would have known that this falls in CRZ,” Noronha stated. “He has no excuse,” he reiterated.
Earlier, on September 4, 2024, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane had at a press conference given a clean chit to the Chief Secretary, who is also the TCP Secretary. “Chief Secretary has not converted a single inch of land in the State of Goa and as far as the CS is concerned, he is an excellent human being and a good officer,” Rane had claimed.
