Panaji: The Goa administration's move to set up a special investigation team to probe land grabbing and illegal transfer of land ownership was welcomed by state minister Vishwajit Rane. On Friday, the Goa town and country planning minister claimed that the matter might be a big scam, PTI reported.
The state government move came after Rane's announcement last week that illegal land transfer cases accused in the state would face strict action.
"If you look at it, it's a big scam. I don't know the magnitude of it," he said on Friday. "It is a welcome step that the state government has formed an SIT to investigate into all these illegalities. This will help take the investigation to its logical end," he added to reporters.
On Thursday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the land mafia had sold off or acquired government lands too. Many complaints were received by the police on fraudulent sale of lands, he added.
In Goa, the archaeology department and registration department have lodged similar complaints. He said that such illegal land transactions are rampant in coastal areas.