team Herald
PANJIM: The investment policy of the state has been passed and the process to select a CEO of the Investment Promotion Board has commenced.
Advertisements have been released in various media and the interviews should commence once the period for accepting resumes ends on November 20. However now with the former CM Manohar Parrikar moving to Delhi as the Defence Minister, questions have been raised with regards to the motivation levels of the new CM and the administration to push forward this ambitious plan to revitalise the economy.
The Herald spoke to several people who were involved in the process of creating the document and others who conduct business in the state.
The sentiment expressed is one of general optimism though some of the people who conduct business in the state, but are from outside, felt that the state had gone back several steps and that the move to Delhi of the former CM would hurt the state. However that was a sentiment not generally expressed.
Nitin Kunkolienker, VP MAIT felt that the system would now take over and ensure that there would be no reduction in the pace of setting up the machinery.
He said “the document is very well articulated regarding what needs to be done and by whom. We are looking at Goa at 75 as to where it ought to be then.”
This document he said talked about certain targets which had to be achieved. These targets he felt were not meant to be achieved in a year but had to be spread over a couple of years. The state he said was focussed on attracting Rs 25,000 crore and more importantly generate 50,000 jobs. The new CM, he said had talked about generating new jobs in the economy to help the approximately 10,000 people who were entering the job market every year.
He said “There is an election coming around in two years time and he will be conscious of the aspirations of the people. This was started by Mr. Parrikar and now the CM will have to drive it with the implementation group.”
He went on to say that in the past the problem with implementation was due to the absence of direction which was not the case now. Nitin concluded by saying that it would be unfair to compare the new CM Laxmikant Parsekar with Manohar Parrikar.
On the crucial issue of land acquisition, he said the state would have to wait for the land acquisition act following which the process will be easier. The govt he said had enough land in the land bank.
Kirit Maganlal, chairman of the Goa Chapter of CII expressed his confidence and said that the speed generated by the earlier CM would be sustained. He said “90-95% of the job has been done and now the crucial home stretch lies before us. The CEO who will take over a head of the IPB will have to drive this process forward.”
This crucial appointment he hoped would happen sometime this month given that the final date for accepting resumes was November 20. The committee set to evaluate the various candidates would be meeting after that and the CM who was the chairman of the IPB had expressed his interest in meeting soon. Kirit said the office of the IPB would be in the Paryatan Bhavan in Patto and it is expected to be handed over shortly once all the facilities were in place. He said that in the recent issue of a national magazine, Goa was rated as the ideal destination for investments and this had to be aggressively highlighted around the country.
With regards to the critical issues of power he felt that it would be tackled and with a rationalisation of the consumption of power by corporate this issue would be sorted out.
On tourism he said the CII was looking at two issues, one the creation of a marina in Goa which would help bring in the high end tourist and help generate employment for people in the area and sensitizing the public on hospitality skills both of which were pending.
Another source who did not want to come on record said that the aviation policy would be sorted out soon and it was presently with the finance secretary and the assistance of the former Goa CM was sought to help speed up the process.
Perhaps the final word will have to go to a former bank employee who said that his son had to work outside the state since there were no opportunities in the state and he in his old age had to live alone because of that. This is an indictment of the state.
