PANAJI
The State government has ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities in Bhu-Naksha land records, including errors, additions, deletions and alterations in survey and land-record data, in a development that puts the implementation of the digital land-record mapping project under scrutiny.
Replying to an unstarred question by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate said the inquiry being conducted by the North Goa Collector is currently in progress and the report is under finalisation.
The Minister said comments and enclosures submitted by various authorities are being examined, while the statements and submissions of the concerned persons and entities, including the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the agency concerned, are also under examination.
Monserrate said that the inquiry covers alleged unauthorised changes in survey data and land records, with particular focus on records relating to CRZ areas and other environmentally sensitive or regulated zones. The government has also been asked to establish the nature and extent of the irregularities through technical reports, comparison sheets, audit findings and other records.
The government has not yet identified any official, survey staff, private agency, vendor or outsourced service provider as responsible, he said adding that the statements and submissions of the concerned entities are still being examined.
It has also not disclosed how many land records have so far been corrected, restored, reversed, frozen or kept in abeyance, stating that the information cannot be furnished while the inquiry remains underway.
The inquiry will also examine who authorised the implementation and subsequent changes in Bhu-Naksha, the safeguards and checks that may have failed, and the corrective measures being put in place, including access controls, audit trails and oversight mechanisms.
