Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Confusion has gripped the Goa administration following the issuance of two separate and conflicting appointment orders for the post of Chief Town Planner (CTP) by different government departments.
On May 5, the Department of Personnel, which functions under Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, issued an order appointing senior bureaucrat R.K. Pandita as Chief Town Planner (Planning) with immediate effect. The order, signed by Under Secretary (Personnel) Durga Kinlekar, stated that Pandita would hold the additional charge while continuing his existing role as Senior Town Planner in the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department.
However, on the following day, the TCP Department, headed by Minister Vishwajit Rane, issued a separate order appointing Vertika Dagus as the Chief Town Planner. The contradictory orders have raised questions over internal coordination within the state administration and the lack of a unified stance on key appointments.
The developments come in the wake of the suspension of former Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik by the Directorate of Vigilance. Naik was suspended over alleged irregularities in the calculation of conversion fees while processing applications for zoning changes under the Goa Town and Country Planning Rules.
The suspension followed a petition filed by civil society activists before the Bombay High Court at Goa, alleging that the former official caused significant financial losses—amounting to several crores of rupees—to the state exchequer by undervaluing zone correction fees.
The issuance of conflicting orders by departments led by the Chief Minister and the TCP Minister has not only created administrative uncertainty but also fueled speculation of a renewed power tussle between the two senior leaders. As of now, the state government has not issued any official clarification to resolve the confusion.
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