Privileged Minister of Goa, invokes "Privilege" against journalist questioning him : Vishwajit Rane

Instead of coming out clean as a Public Representative and custodian of land and forests of Goa, TCP Minister Rane forces Hindustan Times to delete the report on 21.29 Lakh Sq mt land conversion.

On 23rd of July, Hindustan Times published a report authored by known Goa based Journalist @gernalist on the quantum of land conversion which has happened in Goa in last 15 months, a mind boggling 21.29 Lakh sq metres.

The report was taken down by Hindustan Times, after the TCP Minister threatened to invoke "privilege motion" against the newspaper and the editor.

Goa is the smallest state of the country and the most sought after real estate, for the rich and mighty, across the length and breadth.

With everyone trying to vie a place in the "paradise" ie those who can still afford it, the paucity of land covered by Orchards, Fields and Forest was a huge hindrance for the so called "Development" of the state.

But, there came a Messiah named Vishwajit Rane.

Those who dont know him, he is both the Forest Minister and the Town & Country Planning minister of Goa currently.

This must qualify as "Guiness World Record" due to the severe conflicting nature among the two departments, but then, Goa is a very progressive and development oriented state.

The TCP Minister who invariably rules the Sattari Taluka, due to ancestral privilege, and the privilege of being son of the ex-Chief Minister of the state; made sweeping changes in the State's TCP act, earlier this year, which made his department to virtually rule over the land parcel in the estate.

Everyone who has even an iota of brain, could easily see, why such change in the law was made and for whom.

In essence, if you have enough money, you can build anything at almost anywhere in Goa. Forests, Orchards and Paddy fields are no problem.

If you just read the amended laws, and the amendment made, you would start laughing at the development oriented nature of the state government.

How ridiculous absurdity can be, the amended laws of TCP are the sole example and another "Guiness Record" should be awarded for it.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/to-escape-law-state-tweaks-tcp-act-for-land-conversions/articleshow/107130469.cms

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But a perfect stronghold on what gets built in Goa and by whom, presented a problem for the TCP Minister and his department. If the information gets known to everyone, then that would be detrimental to their venture.

So, Vishwajit Rane decides that all RTI Queries regarding the TCP department would go through him and his lordship would decide, which query musters his accent. So essentially, what happens in the TCP department, remains in the TCP department.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/now-tcp-minister-to-approve-rti-queries-on-land-conversion/articleshow/101470103.cms

Now, things have come to such a pass, that Rane's own Cabinet colleagues are very peeved at him for brazen land conversion, because they dont have any say left in it. After All, Land is Gold in Goa.

And if some resort, hotel, casino , farm house is being built in their constituencies, they have the first right on the spoils of the riches from it.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/babush-raises-red-flag-against-rane-over-land-conversions/articleshow/111669679.cms

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The Minister who has a very long running "Cold War" with the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has nothing to show of his performance as a Minister, except for the quantum of land conversion.

As Health Minister, he has been batting for some vested interest, to set up a Private Medical College at South Goa District Hospital, which itself is in very poor condition, to say the least.

A Medical College requires a 1,000 bed Hospital and elaborate infrastructure, entailing huge investment. A Medical College attached to SGDH, would just have to build some blocks for residential hostels.

The duty of a Forest Minister is to conserve the forests and wildlife and to ensure that they grow.

But Vishwajit Rane, after suffering a bitter humiliation at High Court of Goa, on the Mhadei Tiger Reserve issue, went to Supreme Court on the State's expense, to satiate his pride and ego.

The excuse, some lame statements made by near and dear to him, at the pretext of development of Sattari (read land conversion and new real estate projects) would get hampered and would effect 10,000 people of the Taluka who live in that 110sq Km odd area demarcated for it (read the 2011 census report).

When everyone in the cabinet is forced to toe his lines, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, it is obvious that any form of questioning or expose is unpalatable for Rane, God forsake by a national publication and a reputed Goan journalist.

READ: A scathing report written by Mr.Gerard D Souza earlier on Vishwajit Rane.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/who-is-vishwajit-rane-and-why-is-he-a-problem-for-the-goa-bjp-101698763102520-amp.html

Any such mentions hampers his dream of becoming the Chief Minister of the state. After all, the way of progression, gets dented, if the son of Ex-CM, fails to become CM.

In all the high of control over almost the entire land parcel of Goa, Mr.Rane often forgets is that, he is a public representative, elected by Goans, so that he could ensure their and the state's welfare.

And thus, like any other such representative,he is bound to be questioned.

But the irony is that, those who drop "development" in every second sentence they utter, are still living in the colonial era, with constricted and narrow mindset.

The report which was published by Mr.Gerard D Souza, was all public information. Including wherein, Vishwajit Rane and his MLA wife are partners/shareholders in a real estate company.

https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/07/27/clamp-down-ht-deletes-report-on-goa-land-conversion-as-minister-threatens-breach-of-privilege

The Hindustan Times report by Mr.Gerard D Souza, which does not exist now.

But instead of providing any satisfactory answer to the report, on 21.29 Lakh Sq Mt of land conversion, he invoked his "privilege" and forced Hindustan Times to drop the report. The privilege which came to him in the first place, on account of being a public representative.

For those who managed to read the report, before it was deleted; it was an excellent piece of journalism, with pure facts and data, and nothing malafide in it.

The number of questions asked by the MLAs including the ruling party members on Land conversion, in the current assembly session of Goa, is testament to the extent of problem (land conversion).

See, the number of Farm Houses being built by a Real Estate Company at Morjim. This publication write about it, when this amendment was made.

READ : https://99goa.substack.com/p/how-many-goans-can-afford-a-1000-sq-mt-farmhouse

The bitter truth which Mr.Rane would have to gulp, is that stomping one report, would not do any good, to his performance report as a Minister and custodian of State's natural resources and nature.

People of Goa already know the truth and it is discussed not only in assembly but at every Tinto.

Mr. Gerard D Souza post today :

https://open.substack.com/pub/gerardsgazette/p/a-law-unto-itself