Panaji: State Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday said that his department has generated Rs 710 crore revenue for the state over the last five years.
Rane was responding to a volley of questions from the opposition benches during the ongoing Winter Session of the Legislative Assembly.
“My department has been generating revenue for the state. We have generated Rs 710 crore during the last five years, which is the highest by any department in the state,” he told the House.
Responding to allegations from the opposition that huge sums are spent by the TCP department to defend court cases, the minister said that only 1.5 per cent of the revenue collected by the department is paid as fees for private lawyers.
He added that the services of expert private lawyers are necessary to defend the state in courts.
Taking a dig at the opposition benches, Rane accused former Congress-led state governments of indulging in large-scale land conversions. He said that a total of 9.5 crore square metres of land was converted to settlement zones during the tenure of previous Congress governments.
The minister further said that those who oppose development in the state should also present a charter of demands on how the state can be developed.
