NT Reporter
Panaji
The state government on Friday withdrew the suspension of former Chief Town Planner (CTP) Rajesh J Naik, more than a year after he was suspended in connection with allegations of corruption.
Sources said that the matter pertained to the alleged undervaluation of land conversion fees, following which Naik was suspended on April 30, 2025, the last day of his extended service.
Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane expressed happiness over
the development.
“Naik is the cleanest and honest officer; even the court had given him a clean chit. I want the people of Goa to know that Naik is one of the finest and cleanest officers of the TCP. He has done great service and has gone out of the way to help the people,” Rane told reporters on Friday.
“I am happy that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has withdrawn the suspension. I had also requested for the same and it was necessary. Suspension affects the family. The court has given a clean chit as there is no loss to the department,” he added.
Sources stated that the government inquiry concluded there was no mala fide or deliberate action on Naik’s part that caused any loss to the state exchequer. According to sources, the government recovered additional fees in 40 out of the 47 cases, while permissions in the remaining seven cases were cancelled.
Last year, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) vice president Sunil Kawthankar had demanded Rane and Naik’s dismissal over alleged rampant land conversions involving NDZs, green cover, private forests, low-lying paddy fields and agricultural land, covering nearly 21.29 lakh square metres.
Kawthankar had also demanded a criminal investigation against Rane and Naik for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 7.2 crore to the state by undervaluing land
conversion fees.
