Staff Reporter
Panaji
Stating that land converted between March 2023 and July 2024, was “10 times more than the land converted during 1986-2005”, Congress on Friday demanded the sacking of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane and Chief Town Planner
Rajesh Naik.
GPCC president Sunil Kawthankar blamed Rane for the “mass land conversions” that threatens Goa’s identity. He called for a criminal investigation against both the minister and the chief town planner for causing a loss of Rs 7.2 crore to the state exchequer by undervaluing land conversion fees for a land parcel of 89,500 sqm.
“Rane and Naik should be immediately sacked for the rampant land conversions, including NDZs, green covers, private forests, low-lying paddy fields, agricultural land etc, which is nearly 21.29 lakh sqm,”
said Kawthankar, claiming that conversion of large swathes of land is in the pipeline by misusing Sections 39 (A) and 17(2) of the TCP Act.
“Most people who are settling in Goa are from North India. The Goan identity is under severe threat,” said Kawthankar.
