Goa detecting foreigners buying land illegally

Panaji,July 17 (UNI) The Goa government has initiated the process of detecting foreigners who purchased lands in the tourist state without valid permissions.

Replying to Ramarao Desai(BJP) during question hour,Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane told the State Assembly today that the government would take suitable action against delinquent foreigners after the investigation.

He said the government had received information in respect of 482 cases against foreigners who purchased lands during the last threre years but it was yet to be probed whether they did so with due permission of the Union Home, Finance and Foreign Ministries besides the RBI and other appropriate authorities.

As many as 351 instances of land deals by foreigners were reported from north Goa's Bardez taluk followed by 75 in the capital city of Panaji and 37 in south Goa's Salcete taluk.

The state registration department including the sub-registrars cannot initiate any action against the purchasers for not taking approval of the appropriate authority in absence of ''specific legal provision'' to this effect.

''It is not known whether any other authority has initiated any such action,'' the Chief Minister stated.

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