Goemakrponn desk
SANGUEM: The government had plans to build a mining bypass to divert heavy traffic and allow heavy trucks to find a separate route.
Lakhs of rupees were spent on land acquisition, but the mining bypass could not be completed due to illegal mining operations.
However, taking advantage of the government’s hasty attitude, some people sold government land to the government itself for lakhs of rupees.
Sociedade owns millions of square meters of land in the Sanguem area.
Sociedade organisation was constituted during Portuguese rule under which the unused idle lands were leased out to people in respective areas for paddy cultivation.
Portuguese left Goa, but this organisation still exists in Goa.
And since these institutions do not properly functioning bodies, many people have encroached on them and started occupying those lands.
The issue was brought up by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in the last session.
According to the information, the govt officials ignored the people’s complaints and, based on power of attorney alone, paid Rs. 60 lakh 49 thousand 130 for the land to a new person of Sociedade.
Several government officials are also be involved in the scam, he had said.
The mining bypass was finally not complete.
The crores of rupees spent by the government for land acquisition have been an utter waste. The mining bypass is no longer possible. The construction materials brought for the bypass have also disappeared.
Sawant had given the statement in the assembly session saying the action had been initiated against Sociedade by the concerned department.
The road from Uguem to Santon was being constructed in the second phase of the mining bypass.
It is understood that a person named George had accepted the compensation of Rs 60 lakh.
Speaking to Goemkarponn, one of the complainants, Sushant Naik, said that as per the information received from the ex-deputy collector of Quepem Rohit Kadam, the land was sold to the government was not private but owned by Sociedade.
He demanded that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant conduct an in-depth inquiry into this matter.
