Panaji: The state government on Wednesday suspended Chief Town Planner (CTP) of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, Rajesh J Naik, who is facing allegations of corruption. The suspension order was issued by Director (Vigilance), Akshay Potekar.
The order states that while a disciplinary proceeding against Naik is contemplated, the Governor, in exercise of powers conferred by sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, places Naik under suspension with immediate effect.
“It is further ordered that during the period that this order shall remain in force, the headquarters of Naik shall be the Department of Personnel, Secretariat, Porvorim, Goa,” states the order.
It may be noted that Congress had demanded suspension of Naik, while Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had raised the issue of alleged corruption in the TCP Department.
Reacting to the order, St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar said Naik’s suspension raises concerns about possible corruption within the government, indicating potential disregard for legislative assembly laws. “Accountability is essential for ministers and officers,” he said.
The MLA had recently raised issues
pertaining to hill-cutting and illegal projects against which he had filed complaints before the TCP Department. Borkar had said that the department, however, did not respond to his complaints. Naik is on extension in service.
Vice president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Sunil Kawthankar had demanded that TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and the Chief Town Planner be sacked over rampant land conversions, including no-development zones (NDZs), green covers, private forests, low-lying paddy fields, agricultural land etc, to the tune of almost 21.29 lakh square metres.
Kawthankar had also demanded criminal investigation against Rane and Naik “for causing loss of Rs 7.2 crore to the state by undervaluing land conversion fees”.
Meanwhile, former state Congress chief Girish Chodankar said the suspension of the Chief Town Planner has raised concern over the accountability of TCP Minister.
