PANAJI
Town and Country Planning Minister, Vishwajit Rane has fired another salvo aimed at Opposition Leader Michael Lobo saying there was diversion of tenanted agricultural land to non-agricultural in the Outline Development Plan (ODP) of Arpora.
Citing a complaint by an NGO, Rane said, the notified ODP designated tenanted agricultural lands as settlement or commercial zones, which is in explicit violation of the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Act and the Goa Land Use Act, 1991.
"The department of Town & Country Planning will initiate strict action," Rane said in a tweet, adding that several people involved in violating the Land Revenue Code, TCP Act and other laws will be criminally prosecuted.
"We will lead the way with strict action, lodge FIRs wherever necessary, officials will be placed under suspension and terminated if found guilty," Rane said in another tweet.
"I reiterate, using public office for personal gain will not be tolerated & treated as a violation under Prevention of Corruption Act," said yet another tweet by the TCP Minister.
He said, it is just the tip of the iceberg and more details will be highlighted in the public domain.
"I will table a comprehensive report on the floor of the House in the assembly highlighting all the illegalities and irregularities," Rane said in yet another tweet in which he has tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.
Over the last several weeks, the TCP department headed by Rane has booked cases of violation of TCP Act for illegal hill cutting and other violations in instances all related to the Calangute constituency represented by Lobo.
In another case related to the personal property of Lobo in Parra, FIR has been lodged against him and his MLA-wife Delilah for hill cutting and illegal tree cutting. The Lobos have said, the property in question is being developed for farming.
