Goa Land Grabbing Controversy: Govt Faces Criticism Over Alleged Inaction

Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has criticized Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for not fulfilling his promises regarding the land grabbing issue in Goa. Sardesai accused Sawant of allowing the one-man commission, appointed to investigate fraudulent land deals, to operate ineffectively. "The commission came, took commission, and went," Sardesai remarked, emphasizing the commission's limited mandate to merely identify gaps within the department without any real power to take action. He further highlighted the slow progress in legal actions, noting that out of 93 reported cases of land grabbing, only 22 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed.

In August 2020, during a televised program, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the people of Goa that land usurped and sold by land grabbers would be returned to its rightful owners by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Nearly four years later, this promise remains largely unfulfilled, prompting criticism from opposition leaders.

The one-man commission, led by Justice VK Jadhav (retd), was appointed in June 2022 to investigate allegations of fraudulent land deals in Goa. The commission's task was to probe fraudulent land deals involving the forgery of archival documents. Despite its formation and subsequent report submission to CM Sawant on November 1, 2023, there has been little progress. The commission held its first sitting in January 2023, after the crime branch's SIT registered 111 cases of land grabbing involving 93 parcels of land, measuring 1.5 lakh square meters across Goa. However, this comprehensive investigation seems to have been in vain, as concrete actions remain absent.

Sardesai also pointed out the slow pace of legal action against land grabbers, raising questions about the effectiveness of both the SIT and the state government's commitment to addressing the issue. MLA Nilesh Cabral echoed Sardesai's concerns, questioning the necessity of the SIT if court intervention is still required. "If there is a need to go to the court after having an SIT, what is the use of the SIT?" Cabral asked, emphasizing the inefficacy of the current approach.

The lack of follow-up on the one-man commission's findings and the limited action taken by the SIT reflect poorly on Sawant's administration. The Chief Minister's assurances are beginning to ring hollow as affected landowners and opposition leaders demand tangible results.