CBI probe sought into allotments for IT Park in Goa

Panaji, Mar 6 (UNI) Alleging a multi-million rupee real estate scam in ''fraudulent'' allotment of land for the state-owned Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat at Dona Paula Plateau, former director of the state-owned Infotech Corporation of Goa Samir Kellekar has sought a CBI probe into the entire deal.

Interacting with mediapersons here today, Dr Samir alleged, a majority of the beneficiaries of the IT Habitat were realtors, who in the garb of IT companies aimed to reap rich dividends on the prime land which they secured at a very nominal cost.

Each of the allottee obtained at least 4000 square metres of land at Rs 4600 per square metre as against Rs 30,000 per square metre market price, only with the sole ambition of reselling the land in due course to make huge money, he alleged.

He further alleged, the land allocated was disproportionate to the jobs promised as the space given per employee was 2.5 times what was generally required by standard norms as was seen in Bangalore, the IT capital of India.

The authorities failed to verify whether the applicants were really in the IT industry or not before allotting the costly land.

At the same, no IT company worth the name was given the benefit, he claimed.

The land given to such companies should be immediately taken back and the CBI should fix the culprits behind the scam, he demanded.

Dr Samir was not included in the reshuffled board of directors of the ITG from September 2006 after he started questioning spending on the development of the plots of the IT Habitat.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the IT Habitat two years ago even as it plunged into controversy with the local residents opposing it.

Taleigao MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate later led an agitation against the IT park besides allegedly indulging in vandalism, stalling the developmental works a few months ago.

UNI BM DB SW RK1440