Panaji, October 26: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar on Monday accused the BJP government led by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant of compromising Goa's valuable public land and the future of Goan youth through the controversial Dona Paula land development project.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chodankar presented land records, project documents, maps, tender details and financial calculations to allege serious irregularities in the allocation of approximately 3.46 lakh square metres of prime land at Dona Paula for commercial development through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Chodankar alleged that land with an estimated market value of approximately ₹5,100 crore was being offered under a concession arrangement involving an upfront fee of merely ₹108 crore, raising serious questions over a difference of approximately ₹4,992 crore.
He further alleged that the commercial development potential of the land could reach ₹1 lakh crore under a scenario involving FAR 300 and extensive commercialisation.
BJP HAS DESTROYED THE DREAMS OF GOAN YOUTH
Chodankar alleged that the BJP government had pushed the future of Goan youth into darkness by abandoning the original Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat project, which was intended to create thousands of employment opportunities for educated Goans.
He recalled that approximately 2,85,296 square metres of land had been transferred in June 2000 for establishing an IT habitat at Dona Paula.
On February 23, 2006, then Congress President Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat during the tenure of Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane and IT Minister Dayanand Narvekar.
The project, estimated to attract an investment of ₹400 crore, had an initial employment target of approximately 10,000 jobs.
However, the project stalled in December 2007 following protests over land allotments and development-related concerns. Chodankar recalled that Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate was among the prominent political opponents of the project at the time.
Chodankar alleged that instead of reviving the IT Habitat and creating employment opportunities, the BJP government had chosen to facilitate commercial development on land originally intended for the benefit of Goan youth.
He said that thousands of educated Goans were being forced to leave their home state in search of better employment opportunities while valuable land reserved for IT development was being diverted towards commercial interests.
Chodankar questioned why the government was prioritising commercial projects instead of creating employment opportunities that would enable Goan youth to build their careers in their own state.
PRIME LAND VALUED AT ₹5,100 CRORE; UPFRONT CONCESSION FEE ONLY ₹108 CRORE
Presenting the land details, Chodankar stated that the development proposal identified two sites:
- Site A: 2,61,203 square metres.
- Site B: 84,655 square metres.
- Total land parcel: 3,45,858 square metres.
According to the Congress presentation, applying an assumed prevailing market rate of approximately ₹1.50 lakh per square metre places the indicative valuation of the land at around ₹5,100 crore.
However, Chodankar said that the disclosed upfront concession fee was only ₹108 crore.
He questioned the financial basis of the transaction and alleged that the difference of approximately ₹4,992 crore raised serious concerns about whether the public interest had been adequately protected.
The GPCC President demanded that the government disclose the complete valuation methodology, concession conditions, development rights, revenue-sharing arrangements and other financial benefits associated with the project.
₹1-LAKH-CRORE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL QUESTIONED
Chodankar further alleged that the commercial development potential of the project could be substantially higher if the land was developed with FAR 300, equivalent to a Floor Area Ratio of 3.0, and extensive commercialisation.
According to the calculations presented at the press conference, the projected commercial development potential under this scenario could reach approximately ₹1 lakh crore.
He questioned the planning permissions, permissible FAR, proposed land-use changes and approvals that would enable commercial, hospitality and convention-related development on land originally earmarked for an IT habitat.
Chodankar demanded that the government explain how the original purpose of the land was altered and whether the interests of the people of Goa had been adequately safeguarded.
PPP CONCESSION TO VALOR ESTATE LIMITED UNDER QUESTION
Chodankar identified Valor Estate Limited, formerly DB Realty, as the private developer associated with the PPP concession.
He referred to various stages of the tender and concession process, including the November 2025 Request for Proposal and amendments, January 23, 2026 pre-bid clarifications, comparative financial bids, March 18, 2026 Letter of Award and July 28, 2026 concession agreement.
He questioned the transparency of the tendering process and demanded public disclosure of all relevant records and approvals.
Chodankar alleged that the entire process required independent scrutiny to establish whether the State Government had secured appropriate value and adequate public benefits from the proposed development.
CHODANKAR QUESTIONS ROLE OF PRAMOD SAWANT AND BABUSH MONSERRATE
The GPCC President raised serious questions about the roles of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate in facilitating the controversial project.
He alleged that the concession had been approved under the leadership of Chief Minister Sawant and questioned Monserrate's alleged involvement in facilitating approvals through local authorities.
Chodankar recalled Monserrate's earlier opposition to the IT Habitat project and questioned the circumstances under which the same land was now being considered for commercial development.
He demanded transparency regarding the decisions taken by the government, local bodies and planning authorities.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FACILITATING ALLEGED LAND SCAM WARNED
Chodankar also warned government officials against facilitating what he described as the alleged Dona Paula land scam.
He said that officials involved in processing files, granting permissions, approving land-use changes or facilitating questionable decisions must remain accountable for their actions.
He cautioned that government officers should not compromise their statutory responsibilities or the interests of the people of Goa while implementing decisions relating to valuable public assets.
Chodankar demanded that the roles of all concerned departments, authorities and officials be examined and that responsibility be fixed wherever irregularities are established.
CONGRESS WILL SCRAP PPP CONVENTION CENTRE PROJECT IN 2027
Making a political commitment, Chodankar declared that the Congress would scrap the controversial Convention Centre project awarded under the PPP model if it comes to power in Goa in 2027.
He said that the Congress would not permit land originally intended to generate employment opportunities for Goan youth to be diverted towards commercial development at the expense of their future.
Chodankar reiterated that the original vision of the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat was to create employment opportunities, encourage investment in the technology sector and provide a better future for educated Goans.
He maintained that the development of Goa must prioritise employment generation, public interest and the aspirations of local youth.
WE WILL DEAL WITH MONSERRATE, BUT WILL NOT COMPROMISE GOAN YOUTH'S FUTURE: CHODANKAR
Taking a firm stand on the controversy, Chodankar said that Congress would deal with Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate politically but would not allow the future of Goan youth to be compromised.
He asserted that the interests of thousands of young Goans seeking employment opportunities were far more important than the interests of any individual political leader.
Chodankar maintained that Congress would continue raising questions over the project and hold the government accountable for its decisions concerning the land.
CONGRESS DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SCRAPPING OF TENDER AND FULL DISCLOSURE
The GPCC demanded the immediate scrapping of the controversial PPP tender and a comprehensive examination of the decisions that led to the proposed commercial development.
The party demanded disclosure of the complete concession agreement, tender documents, financial bids, land valuation reports, planning permissions, land-use approvals and all related government decisions.
Chodankar said that the BJP government must explain why a project originally intended to generate approximately 10,000 jobs was abandoned in favour of commercial development and why the government had failed to prioritise employment opportunities for Goan youth.
He reiterated that the Congress would continue questioning the proposed project and demanding accountability over the use of public land.
