The senior bureaucrat is accused of personally profiting from a zoning change he signed off on while Goa Chief Secretary — a case now under judicial review.
BY Navin Upadhyay
July 16, 2025 — In a politically sensitive appointment that has already sparked concern among civil society groups and within the bureaucracy, Puneet Kumar Goel, a 1991-batch IAS officer, was named Chief Secretary of Manipur on July 16. While Goel steps into this high-stakes role amid the state’s deepest ethnic and humanitarian crisis in decades, questions are mounting over his suitability — not just due to his lack of conflict-handling experience, but also because of a festering controversy from his recent tenure in Goa.
At the heart of the storm is an alleged land scam involving a lush 1,875-square-meter paddy plot in Aldona, a heritage village in North Goa. As Goa’s Chief Secretary and Secretary of Town and Country Planning in early 2024, Goel signed off on a zoning change that reclassified the agricultural land into a settlement zone — a move that, on paper, may have seemed routine but quickly turned controversial when, barely a month later, Goel himself purchased the same land for ₹2.6 crore.
Nearly a month after we wrote how there were allegations against @GovtofGoa chief secretary Puneet Goel being involved in a land scam in Aldona, a PIL has been filed in Bombay HC against him. Probably the first chief secretary in Goa against whom a PIL has been filed. Shows the… https://t.co/TQDolVN1BL pic.twitter.com/IJqnlTF8Kk
— Rajesh Menon (@RajeshMenon70) October 17, 2024
This transaction sparked widespread outrage and a public interest litigation filed in the Bombay High Court at Goa by RTI activist Swapnesh Sherlekar. The PIL accused Goel of a clear conflict of interest, alleging that he abused Section 17(2) of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act — typically used for minor corrections — to enable a reclassification that inflated the land’s value. Local media, particularly Herald TV, captured the public mood with segments titled “Public Outrage Over Ex-Chief Secretary’s Controversial Plot Purchase”, in which environmentalists, lawyers, and villagers slammed the former Chief Secretary for what they saw as an elite land grab masquerading as bureaucracy.
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The land in question was not only agriculturally important but also reportedly housed a bungalow built illegally as far back as 2016. Critics argued that the rezoning conveniently legalized a structure that should have faced demolition. Further scrutiny revealed that Goel used a Power of Attorney in his son’s name to execute the property purchase — a move many viewed as a red flag designed to obscure direct involvement.
In response to the firestorm, Goel submitted a sworn affidavit to the High Court. He defended the rezoning as a result of standard committee processes, stating he had signed more than 700 files in March 2024 alone, and insisted that the purchase decision came after selling a flat in Gurgaon, which necessitated reinvestment for tax management. He denied any prior relationship with the landowners and portrayed himself as a bona fide buyer with no ulterior motives. However, critics weren’t convinced. “Why was this file signed personally by the Chief Secretary if it had nothing to do with him?” asked a local activist. The absence of public consultation, often mandatory in zoning shifts, further eroded trust.
Meanwhile, as the PIL progressed through the High Court, Goel was quietly shifted out of Goa in October 2024 — posted as Secretary to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), a constitutional body with limited executive clout. Many observers viewed the move as a tactical retreat designed to deflect political and media attention.
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Now, with ethnic tensions in Manipur still smoldering after over a year of violence between Meitei and Kuki communities — resulting in more than 260 deaths and 70,000 displacements — Goel is stepping into a role that demands sensitivity, impartiality, and the ability to navigate communal distrust. While he holds impressive academic credentials, including a B.Tech and PhD from IIT, and has over three decades of experience in power, transport, and urban governance, Goel’s résumé lacks one crucial line: direct experience in managing socio-ethnic conflict or public rehabilitation efforts in volatile regions.
In his favour it could be argued that Goel’s track record — which includes 12 years in the power sector, previous stints as Commissioner of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and a consistent upward trajectory in governance — showed a capable officer capable of rising above controversy. Indeed, no formal charges have been proven in court, and the Goa TCP Department eventually issued an internal clean chit, claiming the zoning change followed regulations. Still, with a CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) inspection now pending on his Aldona property, the matter is far from settled.
Goel’s appointment, approved for inter-cadre deputation until August 2026, also comes at a time when Manipur is under President’s Rule, and the Centre is directly controlling administrative appointments. The timing has not escaped notice. With rehabilitation, reconciliation, and law enforcement now top priorities, critics say that Manipur needs an experienced conflict manager, not another Delhi-appointed bureaucrat carrying political baggage.
Whether Goel proves to be a stabilizing force or yet another miscalculation by New Delhi remains to be seen. For now, his tenure begins under a cloud — and Manipur, more than ever, needs clarity, trust, and leadership above suspicion.
