Panaji, Nov 1 (IANS): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that as police treated land grab cases in the state as routine affairs, the government was forced to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a thorough investigation to nab the land grabbers.

"People used to lodge complaints with the police who didn't forward them to the concerned departments. This forced us to establish the SIT," Sawant said.

"This was happening for the last 15 to 20 years when around 110 properties belonging to people living outside the country or located in 'no man's land' were grabbed. The officers should be alert about such cases and act promptly," he said.

Sawant also said that government employees need to work hard to resolve the problems faced by the people.

According to the Chief Minister, had the police acted promptly and brought the cases to the notice of their seniors, such incidents would not have been repeated.

The SIT headed by Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch), Nidhin Valsan, was formed in July 2022 to look into complaints related to illegal land grabbing and conversion. Since its formation, the SIT has received many complaints of land grabbing.

The SIT had earlier arrested staff of the Archives Department for their alleged involvement in transferring of documents.