PANAJI
The Citizens for Democracy group on Thursday handed over a memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant demanding a fast track investigation into fraudulent cases of change of land records in the State.
Citizens for Democracy leaders Pradeep Padgaonkar, Elvis Gomes and others met Sawant and alleged that property is fraudulently being taken over by the land mafia.
“As a test, two cases of replacement of names in forms 1 & 14 were brought to the notice of the CM showing change of names of owners and tenants. We called upon legal heirs of properties to check forms I & XIV whether the family names have been replaced by unusual names mostly of persons of North Indian origin,” Gomes told reporters.
Padgaonkar said the issue raised by Citizens for Democracy was a matter of grave concern and demanded constitution of a special vigilance cell for speedy action against those who were changing forms 1&14 of the land records without proper process being followed.
“Though the form 1&14 had no much legal value to prove ownership of properties, government authorities were allowing development of such properties without insisting on proof of ownership.”
“The government should not expect people to check property records everyday like a patient checks for diabetes or BP. If a special vigilance cell under Secretary Revenue is formed and people are assured of a time-bound investigation by putting onus on the new person whose particulars have found place in the records, many will be sitting in jail,” said Padgaonkar.
He informed that several such cases had come to notice and people were reluctant to come forward for fear of threats to life. He appealed to people to come forward and register grievances if they have been deprived of their legal rights.
