PANAJI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday questioned the State government's failure to initiate punitive action against officials allegedly involved in delaying mutation and partition cases in the South Goa Collectorate, despite allegations of corruption raised by advocates last week.
AAP Senior Vice President Sandesh Teleikar Dessai demanded to know why no arrests had been made in what he termed a "corruption scandal" in the Mutation and Partition Department.
Addressing a press conference, Dessai said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Home portfolio, was yet to order any criminal action against the officials accused of deliberately delaying files and allegedly collecting bribes from applicants.
He alleged that the matter came to light only after South Goa lawyers launched a protest, forcing the government to take note of the issue.
"Denying citizens timely services and forcing them to run from pillar to post is unacceptable. The government has spoken about preventing such incidents in the future, but what about the cases that already exist?" Dessai asked.
He also questioned whether citizens who allegedly paid bribes to expedite their files would ever be compensated.
Dessai said the Vigilance Department and Anti-Corruption Bureau function under the Home Department headed by the Chief Minister, yet no arrests or criminal cases had been reported so far.
Taking a direct swipe at the Chief Minister and the BJP-led government, the AAP leader sought to know why action had not been initiated against the errant officials and whether there were vested interests behind the inaction.
He urged the government to move beyond assurances and take concrete action against corrupt officials if it was serious about tackling corruption.
The mutation delays issue has triggered widespread concern among property owners and legal practitioners, with advocates alleging prolonged delays in processing land-related applications at the South Goa Collectorate.
