Team Herald

PORVORIM: Industries Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday said it was a failure for the State that special economic zone (SEZ) was not setup in Goa.

Rane said, “If SEZ had been established then the scenario would have been different. New industries for IT would have been setup by now.”

Responding to the issue raised by Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat on the refunds and the interest on the principal amount paid by IDC to the land allotters in the SEZ, Rane said, “Let anyone go to the court if they wish to. I have asked the IDC chairman to take the decision and go ahead with the payments. According to me, the issue is dead and gone. While in Congress for the last 5 years no question was raised. The Opposition should have raised the question in the last 5 years. I want to work for progressive Goa.”

Stating that former chief minister Pratapsingh Rane had taken the decision, the Industries Minister said, “The next CM decided otherwise. We cannot let the land be stuck for next 20 years and therefore if by paying the money we get the land free, we will do it.”

Asserting in the Goa Legislative Assembly that the Department needs transparency, he said the government would undertake digitisation of records and function on the lines of MIDC. 

“All plots allotted will reflect on online portal. If we go on driving away the industries then nobody will want to come to Goa. There are encroachments on IDC land and therefore we need to put them online. It is not possible for the staff to sit in Panjim and know what is happening in Kundaim and Pissurlem”, he added.