PANJIM, DEC 6
Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) has said that the lack of policy and several factors related to current political wrangling has plagued the industrial scenario in the state.
“The industrial scenario in Goa is not conducive today. We are not able to leverage the advantage that Goa can attract high tech industrial sector,” Goa State Industries Association (GSIA), President Shekhar Sardessai said.
Briefing media persons today, Sardessai alleged that there are no asserts that can mark Goa as industrial sector. “We are laddered by baggers of past,” he said.
The president stated that current political wrangling has resulted into land scarcity along with lack of power facility.
“There is serious threat to Industrial sector in the state. Goa is losing its share of prosperity,” he alleged.
GSIA feels that in the absence of industrial policy, several key issues are affecting the industrial development in Goa, especially in the Medium and Small Scale Micro Entrepreneurs (MSSME) sector.
Sardessai claimed that Goa State Industrial Development Corporation’s (GSIDC) allotment policy is not fair and transparent, huge pieces of land are blocked in the name of SEZ and several plots are unutilized in the industrial estates.
“The current power scenario is the state is abysmal. We still have a gap of nearly 50 MW in peak times and the projected power requirement in 2020-21 is expected to be 1500MW,” Sardessai said.
He alleged that ban on electricity connections beyond a threshold has seriously dented development of industries.
“Currently, there are many industries which have been set up and are awaiting power connections. At the same time there are few which are waiting approval of their load demands,” Sardessai stated.
In-order to tackle the growing demand, GSIA has demanded setting up of at least two gas based power plants in Goa.
GSIA stressed that government should immediately mandate creation of a task force involving all stake holders to come out with a progressive industrial policy. “This has to be a serious and focused exercise, done by experts. Government only needs to define the objective and then leave it to the experts to carve out the policy and guidelines for its implementation,” he said.
“Goa has failed in providing employment to its own youth. Every year, huge number of students pass out as engineers but we don’t have employment to offer them. Hence they move out of Goa,” the president said pointing out that government need to realize that MSME sector is the key economic transformation factor of emerging market economies.
Goa has around 4,200 industrial units and 90 per cent of which are either medium or small scale industries.
