Margao: Taking potshots at Congress Goa Chief Girish Chodankar, Goa Forward Party Chief and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai alleged that the party was trying to protect the conversions of Delhi buyers which they had done during their tenure.
Sardesai said that Congress party had converted 16 crore square metres of land into settlement zone in the State which was belonging to the buyers from Delhi.
“There were many conversions into settlements done under Regional Plan 2021 (land use plan) when (Congress leader) Digambar Kamat was the Chief Minister,” the minister said.
“While converting the lands owned by Delhi buyers, the Congress government had reverted the land of Goans from settlement to orchards. Around seven crore square metres owned by Goans was converted into green by Congress government,” he said.
Sardesai has been facing criticism from Congress party for amending Town and Country Planning Act which provides the provision of case-to-case conversions for the land owners, who will have to go through a strict procedures as described in the Act.
The minister alleged that Congress leaders had accepted money to convert the land during their tenure and are now afraid that their deeds would be exposed due to which they are opposing the Amendment to the Act.
He said that amended Act has been kept open for public suggestions for 60 days. “If Congress has any objection, they should put it in writing,” he said.
Sardesai also pointed out that former Congress CMs including Pratapsinh Rane, Luizinho Faleiro and Ravi Naik had allowed case-to-case basis conversions during their tenure.
