PANJIM: It was a second visit of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to the the Annual General Meeting of the Verna Industrial Association (VIA). This time there were several moments of embarrassment for the beleaugured and hapless Chief Minister. First, the promises made by the Parsekar last year in August 2015, never saw the light of the day. Second, he was supposed to be accompanied by Industry Minister Mahadev Naik and Chairman GIDC Ganesh Gaunker, but both skipped the meeting and the reasons for which, was not told to the gathering which included the whos who of Goa industry and businessmen. Third, there were hardly any representation from the government side, besides one officer each from the GSIDC and Electricity Department. Fourth, the Chief Minister had his foot in his mouth when he criticised his own law department. This function was attended by several leading industrialists in the state, including the GCCI President, Narayan Bandekar.
“Out of the 22 industrial estates function in the state, Verna Industrial Estate is the most active and most vibrant. Any demands made by such professionals must be taken up by government departments seriously and act upon it, particularly the IDC. They must be serious. This is the only industrial estate out of the existing 22, which invited me consecutively for two years now for their Annual General Meeting,” said Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
The Chief Minister was very candid that there were inordinate delay in keeping up to the promises made. “If you want to delay any project, you mark it to law department. This is the image of that department. However, I am ensuring that I am clearing the projects for the benefit of Goa. The sub-lease of land rule is also being amended and the draft is ready. We have simplified it and I have given my consent and only the notification is awaited. I am surprised to see that the water problem at Verna is still persisting and it is yet to be solved even though the ground level reservoir (GLR) has already been constructed. I feel in each and everything the Chief Minister did not intervene. But occassions come when the Chief Minister has to intervene. I will surely follow up in this week itself,” said Parsekar.
On the long pending demand of VIA before the state government to give one police station the jurisdiction of the Verna Industrial Estate, the Chief Minister said, “As far as police station at Verna is concerned, the Verna Industrial Estate falls under the jurisdiction of three police stations and it creates difficulty for operations. I had given specific instruction in the file moved by the Home Ministry that let there be only one police station at Verna Industrial Estate with full jurisdiction. On paper it is there but I do not know how it has not come into actual reality. I accept that from the government side, a lot many things are pending. If this is the state of affairs at Verna Industrail Estate , I can very well imagine what will be the state in other Industrial Estates where the Associations are calm, quiet and silent.”
Several questions were raised in the forum before the Chief Minister. Sudhin Naik, President of the Goa State Industry Association raised the issue of political appointment of Chairman of GSIDC and even went on to suggest that a professional ratther than a politician should be the chairman of GSIDC. Blaise Costabir also raised the issue of Nehul case.
President of the VIA Damodar Kochkar said that “We need 10 mld of water per day at Verna Industrial Estate but the irony is that we get only 0.7 mld of water per day from the PWD. For last 15 months even the pump house has not been completed and there were five different tenders for one job to get water to Verna. We have raised this issue several times but to no avail. Even trivial and small issues raised before the IDC for several times, were not taken up. I humbly request the Chief Minister to intervene.”
Founder and Past President of VIA Nitin Kunkoleinker said, “I am not criticising but inspite of the fewer bureaucratic support and challenges, the intention of present government is to work for the benefit of Goa and soon things will be much better.”
