Goa's Land Scam Allegations Clash with Historic Mineral Auction

Girish Chodankar of the Goa Congress has accused a senior state minister of orchestrating a bribery-fueled land reclassification scam. While controversy looms over these claims, Goa has launched its first-ever auction for exploration licenses, aiming to tap into valuable mineral resources and boost economic development.

Girish Chodankar, a prominent leader within the Goa Congress, has levied serious allegations against a senior minister in the BJP-led state government. Chodankar claims that this minister orchestrated a widespread scam involving substantial bribes collected to alter land classifications from private forests. In a bold statement on social media platform X, Chodankar accused landowners of paying upwards of Rs1,000 per square meter to have their properties reclassified, implying significant corruption at high levels.

According to Chodankar, following recent judicial interventions, the minister faced a 'double setback' as the Supreme Court clamped down on private forest sales and the High Court invalidated a contentious land reclassification scam under rule 17(2). Nevertheless, Chodankar alleges that the minister intends to contest the High Court's decision using taxpayer funds, a move he deems both reckless and shameful, demanding immediate dismissal of the minister.

Amidst these controversies, a landmark event is taking shape in Goa. India's first auction of exploration licenses, intended to unlock valuable mineral reserves, was commenced by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Goa's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The auction covers 13 exploration blocks for critical minerals like Rare Earth Elements, Zinc, and PGE, and is designed to foster private sector involvement while reducing the nation's dependence on imported resources, the Ministry of Mines stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)