MARGAO
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha has demanded that the government ensures that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe into fraudulent land deals complete the investigation in a time-bound manner before the Civil Society knocks on the doors of the Judiciary to monitor the probe.
The South Goa MP also warned the government not to dilute the comunidade code with an eye on usurping the land of local Gaunkar to hand them over to outsiders.
Suspecting the government’s inaction in the matter, virtually allowing people to rob innocent Goans of their land, running into around Rs 1,000 crore, Sardinha has called for action against the officials who acted in connivance of the scamsters.
Addressing the media, Sardinha said the SIT should expose the collusion and nail the officials involved in the land scam.
“This probe needs to be capped in a time-bound manner. If not, the civil society and citizens will knock on the doors of the Judiciary to bring the probe under the court scanner,” he added.
On the proposal to amend the code of comunidades, Sardinha wondered whether the government is really serious about bringing about the change in the code or if it is an attempt to grab the comunidade land and hand it to the outsiders.
“Whenever the government was in need of land for development, the same was acquired from the local comunidades. I do not see any reason for the government to change the comunidade code. It should respect the sentiments of the locals and the Gaunkars who own the land,” he said while asserting there’s no need to change the comunidade code.
