Urban development minister, brother encroached on government land: Congress

PANAJI: The Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint with the directorate of vigilance over alleged illegal construction activity by urban development minister Milind Naik, and his brother Umesh Naik, in Vasco.


Alleging that the minister and his brother “grabbed and robbed” government land and obtained permission in connivance with officials of Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) and Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC), Goa Pradesh Youth Congress Committee president Varad Mardolkar, in his complaint, asked the directorate to conduct an inquiry into the brothers’ moves and also probe non-action by the MPDA, MMC, Mormugao police station and officials of the land survey department.

In the complaint, the Congress alleged that development permission was granted fraudulently by the MPDA and that the construction/reconstruction licences issued by the MMC was illegal as they were granted for a plot of 278 sqm when the area was actually just 160 sqm. “The two brothers illegally claimed to be the sole holders of the property and no permission from the revenue department was sought for hill-cutting,” the party alleged in its complaint, which was supported by documents.

A public notice issued by the office of the deputy collector/SDO, Mormugao, on December 6 and pasted on the notice board of the office, stated that Umesh Sagun Naik and Milind Sagun Naik submitted an application for regularisation of encroachment on government land and had even furnished detailed information of the encroachment. The notice invited objections and suggestions before January 7.

“The encroachment in the present case is not an encroachment that has been standing over a period of time for which regularisation has been sought on humanitarian grounds or due to poverty. It is not also an encroachment existing on the ‘appointed date’, which, as per Section 2(IC) of the Goa Land Revenue Code 1968, is the first day of March, 1971,” Chandrashekhar Vast, a resident of Mormugao has stated in his objection to the regularisation.

“It ought to be noted that encroachment on government land by a public official, more so an MLA who is currently a minister, is a serious matter. These persons, who are the custodians of government property, cannot be permitted to be encroachers themselves, for they are required to zealously guard government properties from private interests, including from MLAs and ministers who have political will and executive powers at their disposal,” Vast added in his complaint.