STATE SUBMISSION
>> Will take steps and hand over the property to the Education Department
COMPLIANCE REPORT
>> The High Court directs that the State government file it by April 22
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BACKGROUND--------------------------------------
>> The land originally belonged to the Directorate of Education and hosted a ground where educational exhibitions were held
>> Activist Harihar Chodankar filed a petition against the illegal transfer of land from the Education Department to the GCA
>> In light of the PIL, the State of Goa constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) for investigating into the scam
PANAJI: The Government of Goa told the Bombay High Court at Goa that it will recover land from the Goa Cricket Association at Porvorim and initiate criminal proceedings “against the concerned persons for illegally allotting the ground without prior approval of the Government.”
In a statement before the High Court which is hearing a petition filed by an activist Harihar Chodankar against the illegal transfer of land from the Education Department to the GCA, Neetal Amonkar, Under Secretary (Home) filed an affidavit on behalf of the Goa Government before the High Court of Bombay at Goa stating, “the Government has decided to take steps to recover possession of the said property and to resume the land and hand over the same to the Education Department.
The statement was made based on an inquiry report submitted by Superintendent of Police (Crime) dated 15.10.2018 was placed before the Government for appropriate directions.
The High Court took the statement on record and directed that a compliance report be filed by April 22.
It may be recalled that RTI activist Chodankar vide a series of RTI applications discovered that the construction of the playground at Porvorim was itself illegal and the Goa Cricket Association was the recipient of a demolition order from the Village Panchayat of Penha de Franca.
Further the transfer of the of the land upon which the cricket stadium was constructed by the Info Tech Corporation of Goa Ltd to the Goa Cricket Association itself reeks of mala fides and abuse of process of the law. Besides, the water connection for the Goa Cricket Association stadium was of a domestic purpose thereby depriving revenue for the state exchequer. In light of the Public Interest litigation filed by Harihar Chodankar, the State of Goa constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) for the purpose of investigating into this scam.
The land originally belonged to the Directorate of Education and hosted a ground which used to host educational exhibitions.
