Date:23/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/23/stories/2008082353100300.htm

Karnataka

Housing Board to face probe

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The Goa Housing Board is in the eye of a storm with the Government on Thursday agreeing to the Opposition demand in the State Assembly to conduct an inquiry into a case of transfer of property and sale deed of a prime land at Reis Magos in north Goa’s coastal belt.

The issue of a likely scam was earlier raised in the House by Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar during Question Hour.

Referring to the controversial land deal as pointed out in the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), he alleged that the deal was fraud and the chairman and the managing director of the board were responsible for it. The report for the year ended on March 31, 2007, tabled in the House noted a loss of Rs. 6.70 crore through disposal of this land owing to the failure of the board to consider market rate. The report referred to the failure in adopting a transparent tender process for the sale of land.