Panaji, April 9:
The United Goans Foundation (UGF) has filed a serious complaint alleging an “institutional land grab” of over 6,500 sq. metres of reclaimed riverine land in Panaji, accusing the Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Captain of Ports (CoP) of illegally conferring government land to a private concessionaire allegedly linked to casino interests.

The complaint names M/s Shanta Infratech Pvt. Ltd., reportedly connected to the Deltin Group, as the beneficiary of what activists claim is an wrongful act of transfer and commercial exploitation of public property.

Allegations of Illegal Land Transfer

UGF has alleged that the Tourism Department attempted to hand over operational rights over land that:

Is not part of any surveyed property

Does not belong to the Tourism Department

Falls under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department and Captain of Ports

The land in question reportedly includes reclaimed riverine areas created during the construction of the Atal Setu bridge.

Discrepancies in Survey No. 46/10

The complaint points to irregularities in Survey No. 46/10 in Panaji:

Total land: 31,853 sq. metres (government-owned)

DoT holding: 15,093 sq. metres

Land transferred: 16,015 sq. metres

This indicates an alleged excess allocation of 922 sq. metres, raising questions over legality and demarcation.

Third-Party Land Included Without Consent

UGF further claims that approximately 9,140 sq. metres of GTDC-developed parking space, built using central funds, was included in the concession agreement without GTDC being a party, triggering concerns over misuse of public assets.

Reclaimed Land ‘Illegally Monetised’

The complaint alleges that reclaimed land has been:

Brought under private operational control without authority

Used for unauthorised fee collection from vessel operators

Misrepresented as falling within Tourism Department jurisdiction

Allegations of Collusion

UGF has accused officials, including former and current Directors of Tourism and the Captain of Ports, of:

Misrepresenting ownership of government land

Avoiding proper demarcation to enable encroachment

Facilitating illegal commercial exploitation

The complaint also suggests a possible larger conspiracy involving a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure and alleged links to casino sector entities.

Demand for Probe and Criminal Action

The organisation has demanded:

A high-level vigilance and anti-corruption inquiry

Registration of FIRs against officials, including former DoT Director Menino D’Souza, current Director Kedar Naik, and CoP Octavio Rodrigues

Declaration of the 2021 Leave & Licence Agreement as void

Forensic audit of Shanta Infratech Pvt. Ltd.

Recovery of revenues allegedly collected illegally over the past five years

UGF has also called for an investigation into possible links between government officials and casino operators.

Serious Legal and Financial Implications

The complaint warns of significant loss to the state exchequer and potential violations of land revenue laws, port regulations, and anti-corruption statutes, while seeking accountability for what it describes as a “systemic abuse of authority.”