Committee to probe foreigners buying immoveable property BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, SEPT 13 - The State Government has constituted a committee to go into the cases wherein immoveable property has been bought by foreigners without fully conforming to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Headed by Anupam Kishore, Joint Secretary (Debts), Finance Department, the panel will include Additional Collectors of North and South districts Swapnil Naik and A G D S Pereira respectively and Joint Secretary (law) as members. Kishore's experience at Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to come good in scrutinising the cases, sources said. The committee has been given 60 days time to submit its report to the Government. The committee, sources said, will go into all the 482 cases identified by the government where FEMA provisions have not been fulfilled. It may be noted that since the Act came into effect, hundreds of foreigners of non-Indian origin have purchased immoveable properties admeasuring around 15 lakh sq mt mainly along the coastal areas of North Goa. Almost half of the total area bought is in Bardez with Calangute, Candolim and Arpora being the hot spots. Sources said among the 482 cases, a number of them are foreign tourists who being attracted by the beauty of the State, have gone in for immoveable properties. As per the FEMA law, no foreigner who comes as a tourists can purchase property. However, the law allows foreigners who have stayed for more than 182 days in the country or has a business visa and spells out the purpose of he buying the property. As stated by the Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane earlier, most of the land dealings was possible due to some lawyers, middlemen, real estate agents working in tandem with government officials concerned. Some foreigners who have bought properties may not have been aware about the provisions of law governing purchase of land were guided by some lawyers who are specialized in land dealings, sources said. Using the loophole in the law, foreigners some of whom are tourists, have got their properties registered (Sale deeds executed) by claiming in the affidavits that they have complied to FEMA provisions. The Registration department's contention is that it is not expected to scrutinize the applications before sale deeds are registered, they go by the affidavits sworn-in by the foreigners. It was only after NCP Youth president Rajan Ghate raised the issue publicly that the government took cognizance of the irregularities in purchase of properties by foreigners. Sources said the committee will scrutinize every case and will seek the assistance of RBI. It will also probe into cases where some so-called businessmen have joined hands with some locals of business activities. In one of the cases one person from Bardez who was once booked for noise pollution has partnered with Russians before buying agricultural land in Pernem taluka. The committee will tabulate the kind of violations and also find out whether the local officials have also erred in their duties and submit the report in the first week of November. _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
