The Investment Promotion Board (IPB) that met on Thursday cleared 13 projects. Ten of the projects that were given the nod involve manufacturing units, two are in the hospitality industry and one in agro-tourism. The projects are being set up with an investment of Rs 384 crore. Notably the board withheld taking a decision on four projects and has instructed the promoters to provide more information. The feeling in industrial circles, considering the track record of this government that has mastered the taking of U-turns, is that the decision to hold the projects is merely eyewash and the projects would get the nod in the future.
The Investment Promotion Board has been armed with such sweeping powers that some of the most fundamental pieces of legislation in force, to protect Goa’s land and eco systems, have been surrendered at its altar. These are all sensitive areas, which have no protection, once the IPB decides to declare them as areas for ‘investment promotion’. The latest example of this misuse is the notification of over three lakh square metres of land, in an idyllic village of Amdai Uguem, Sanguem as an investment promotion area, when there is an industrial estate in the same taluka. Over three lakh square metres of land were ‘notified’ as investment promotion area, solely to allow a new alcohol and brewery plant, that had already purchased over 1,20,00 square metres of land there.
It is only in Goa that such a draconian, anti-democratic and anti-people legislation can pass muster without challenge. If an important department like Town and Country Planning, which gives technical clearances is bypassed by the IPB, who will be responsible in case a of tragedy like the collapse of an under-construction building at Canacona? Can the Chief Minister answer this question? One needs to also question the government as to how would Goa and Goans benefit from the IPB and the industries coming in when there is no guarantee of Goans being employed in the new industries.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has clearly said that the government has no control over recruitment in private industries. The IPB is expected to generate 50,000 jobs in the next five years and since there is no guarantee that Goans will get jobs it can be assume that around 40,000 employees could be from outside Goa. Considering this the State is looking at almost a 1.5 lakh immigrant population, as the employees would come along with their family. Is Goa prepared for this kind of migration? Has the IPB been constituted to bring in more migrants?
So far, where the IPB is concerned there are only statistics. The number of projects approved by the board is 84 with the investment running into Rs 7497 crore and potential employment of 15,408 persons. Not a single company or industry has begun work or started functioning since permissions were first granted in June last year. Insiders say that the single window system isn’t working as no officers are willing to take responsibility for IPB clearances in government departments.
What is shocking is that even with the Regional Plan in the finalisation stage, the IPB is clearing projects across the State. What is the purpose of the Regional Plan if the IPB is clearing hotel projects in eco-sensitive zones? Will the Regional Plan be only for Goans to follow and cause hurdles for their residential requirements? Also, the State government said in the Assembly that it wants to learn from its counterparts like Gujarat where investment proposals are cleared at a quicker pace. Does Mr Parsekar and the BJP understand our neighbours are vast States and are not constrained by the scarcity of land as Goa is? Already Goa has become too costly for Goans, unbridled development will make it even costlier.
