Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Government has initiated an inquiry into suspected discrepancies in Bhu-Naksha land records, following allegations of changes to survey and land-record data, including additions, deletions and alterations.
Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate informed the Assembly in response to an unstarred question by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao that the inquiry being handled by the North Goa Collector is still underway and the report is currently being finalised.
The Minister said inputs and documents received from different authorities are being scrutinised as part of the probe. Statements and submissions from the agencies and individuals concerned, including the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the agency associated with the project, are also being examined.
The inquiry is looking into allegations that changes were made to survey information and land records without proper authorisation. Particular attention is being given to records involving Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas and other environmentally sensitive or regulated locations.
The government is also examining technical reports, comparison statements, audit observations and other documentation to determine the scale and nature of the alleged discrepancies.
No individual official, survey employee, private agency, vendor or outsourced service provider has so far been held responsible, Monserrate said, adding that the inquiry has yet to conclude its examination of the concerned entities.
The government has also declined to provide figures on the number of records that may have been corrected, restored, reversed, frozen or placed on hold, citing the ongoing inquiry.
As part of the investigation, authorities are examining the approval process behind the introduction of Bhu-Naksha as well as subsequent modifications to the system. The probe will also assess whether existing safeguards and verification mechanisms failed and examine measures such as stronger access controls, audit trails and monitoring systems to prevent similar issues in the future.
