ACB to probe `suspicious` land allotment case in Goa

Panaji: The Goa government has referred a "suspicious" land allotment deal by the former Congress-led government to Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

This was informed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar at the State Legislative Assembly here today. Parrikar told the House that prima facie there was corruption involved in the allotment of land to steel rolling mill M/s Kundil Ispat Limited at Usgao village. "Government has referred the issue to the ACB to check if any corruption was involved in it," the Chief Minister said. He was responding to a query by BJP legislator Vishnu Surya Wagh, who had questioned the controversial allotment of land for the company at a "throwaway price" of Rs 1,500 as lease rent and Rs 53,381 as ground rent annually. Parrikar stated the land was allotted during the year 2008 by the erstwhile Congress-led government, without passing it in the state cabinet. The agreement was signed by the government on May 27, 2008 with Kundil Ispat Ltd. "The then Law Department had suggested that the agreement be put before the state cabinet. But it was passed through a circulation," he said, adding that Pratapsingh Rane, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, was the then Chief Minister. Parrikar said, "In the next 30 days, the government will take the required decision in the matter. The entire deal seems to be made for each other." He said the land was acquired by Animal Husbandry department and later handed over to three institutions - Goa Meat Complex Ltd, Kundil Ispat Ltd and Goa State Co-operative Milk Producers` Union Ltd. The allotment to Kundil Ispat has sparked the controversy as it is a private company. PTI