Panaji, Oct 15 (IANS): The Goa Small Industries Association (GSIA) has demanded a high level probe into a massive industrial plot allotment scandal by a state government-run industrial corporation, in which several politicians are allegedly linked.
One of the controversial allotments is to Miditech Private Limited, a firm run by the sons of Uttarakhand Governor and senior Congress leader Margaret Alva.
The probe should be headed by a retired high court judge, GSIA President Shekhar Sardessai demanded Friday.
"There is a clear cut scandal made out. We have filed a criminal complaint against top officials of the GIDC (Goa Industrial Development Corporation). We have noticed nearly 250 dubious allotments. Most plots measure from 5,000 sq mts to 35,000 sq mts," Sardesai told reporters here.
The industrial plot allotment scandal came to light after a Goa government appointed task force - which also included GSIA members - discovered that 250 odd plots in various industrial estates in Goa were allotted out of turn.
GIDC Chairman and Congress legislator from Quepem Chandrakant Kavlekar, GIDC Managing Director Ajit Naik and other officials of the corporation were involved in making fraudulent allotments, in several cases by forging minutes of GIDC board meetings, GSIA said.
"We are exercising our own legal options. There has to be criminal liability on those who have been violating law and making these plot allotments over the last four years," Sardessai told IANS.
A plot of land measuring 67,457.5 sq mts was given to Miditech Private Limited promoted by Niret and Nikhil Alva, both sons of the Uttarakhand governor.
The land was allotted to the firm around the time when Margaret was the All India Congress Committee official overseeing Goa affairs and has been lying unutilized for nearly five years now, in gross violation of GIDC norms, which advocates prompt utilization of the industrial plot allotted.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has ordered a vigilance probe into the land allotments, Sardessai said.
Goa's controversial land allotments to promoters has also been cancelled by the Goa government following public pressure, after serious discrepancies were found in land allotment procedures by the then chief minister Pratapsingh Rane.