BJP finds criminal conspiracy in SEZ land allotments, seeks probe

Panaji, Jan 3 (UNI) The BJP today renewed its plea for launching a high-level inquiry into the multi-crore rupee land allotment scam related to Special Economic Zones in Goa to expose the real bigwigs involved.

Interacting with mediapersons, the party's Opposition leader in the State Legislative Assembly, Mr Manohar Parrikar questioned, how the Goa Industries Development Corporation had assigned huge chunks of land to the beneficiaries much before the state cabinet had approved the SEZ policy on June 5, 2006.

''This is certainly a criminal conspiracy hatched at the insistence of the top politicians to benefit the landsharks on the name of the SEZs. The Centre may also be aware of the people involved and hence is expressing its inability to denotify them,'' Mr Parrikar said.

If Chief Minister Digambar Kamat fails to get the Centre to denotify the SEZs in Goa, the BJP would be compelled to file criminal complaints against those involved, before the commencement of the winter session of the State Assembly on January 10, Mr Parrikar said.

He also said several departments including sales tax had granted various exemptions to the SEZs from the year 2005 itself, much before they came into being, indicating the conspiracy to benefit the vested interests.

''When the Centre has powers to notify SEZs, it should have equal powers to denotify them. If not, let the related laws be amended to fulfill the wishes of the people,'' Mr Parrikar added.

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