By: Savio Rodrigues
4th of the series of investigation
A senior high ranking officer of a Central Intelligence agency revealed to this correspondent that in the investigations surrounding the assets of Shahid Balwa when the investigation stirred towards the DB Realty assets in Goa, it was learnt that Balwa’s connection with Senior Congress leaders at the Centre was crucial to help facilitate the process of the different Central and State related clearances for the Goa project even though some were in the violations of certain central and state-level laws.
Even Chief Minister Digambar Kamat who also controls the Town & Country Planning portfolio came under clout and several clearances were issued, which NGOs have raised up in the High Court for violations.
Though when the news broke out on Shahid Balwa’s involvement in 2G Scam and when BJP Goa asked for a probe into the Aldeia de Goa project of DB Realty, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat very categorically told the media that ‘He never heard of Shahid Balwa’. The Chief Secretary in his media reply to the BJP demand for a probe said that, “If we are instructed by the Enforcement Directorate who are in the know of the case, we will co-operate.”
Goa government conducting a probe into the illegalities surrounding the DB Realty Aldeia de Goa project has not happened and many say it will not happen mainly because it is the Government who is responsible for the irregularities in the project and the missing files of a prestigious project from the TCP office and Panchayat Office is shocking and throws serious questions into the probable cover-up surrounding this project.
It also does throw light on the questionable working of the Goa Government in particular with mega-real estate companies such as DLF, Emaar MGF, Rahejas to name a few with immense political and money clout.
