PANJIM: The state of Goa has a dream. A dream that involves the utilisation of the talent and intelligence of its sons and daughters in a manner that will help them achieve their goals without leaving the state. Reality however is quite morbid. The talented are leaving for Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and other more attractive places where jobs and facilities are available. This has been the pattern for several generations.
The investment policy looked to fix this by setting up of five more industrial estates in the state for the industries which might be interested in setting up shop. Documents revealed the government was in the process of acquiring land for these new industrial estates/expansion of existing industrial estates, while working towards releasing the land given to SEZ’s which are currently under litigation.
The state already has twenty industrial estates. These estates house around 1620 operating industrial units over a utilized area of around 10 million sq mt according to the draft investment policy.
However the question that is being asked is whether it is necessary to have new industrial estates in the state and what exactly is the state of the existing industrial estates.
A drive through the industrial estates in Kundaim and Madkaim revealed industrial units that were struggling in part to survive and to deal with the paucity of facilities.
At Davico Composites in the Madkaim Industrial Estate, a paucity of electricity was a problem. Pednekar said “We are without electricity supply two or three times a day. With regards to water we have it due to the tanker coming over everyday.”
Asked what would improve the situation for him and others like him operating in the industrial zone he said the situation was improving but the silly taxation system in the state meant that he did not find it viable to give business to local ancillary units. He was categorical when he said “let us make the most of the twenty zones that are present in the state and we don’t need five more now”.
Another company in the same zone Cartini Packing India Ltd had another view. The director of the company James Kurian expressed his frustration at the power outages. He said “In our Industrial zone facilities like roads have improved over the last few years. The major issue that we are facing is the continuity of the power supply as well as the quality. Also the quality of Internet connectivity is quite poor here.”
The GIDC, he said supplied water but at times it had to be supplemented by using local water tankers. With regards to the transport facilities for staff he said “To the Madkai Industrial Estate, the buses come just before 8;30 am and then pick up the people again just after 5pm. If the shift timing is changed, we have to provide transport.”
On what ought to be done to attract new business he said “The state can look at taking back the plots which are lying unused over long periods of time and then allot them to new owners. Many industries have preferred Gujarat as power is available reasonably cheaply there”.
Asked what the government ought to be doing to improve the functioning of the zone he said “ There has to be some interface between the GIDC, GSEB and various other similar departments. If there is a common interface, then clearances, sorting out issues etc can be much faster. The issue of the positioning of similar industries together came up with the operations manager of a pharma company having to deal with a steel plant that was operating in the plot opposite it. The manager who did not wish him or his company to be named said, “We have to operate in highly sanitised conditions and we have this steel plant that is very polluting. We recently purchased a plot of land next to our existing plant to ensure they do not buy it and also to help us in our expansion plans. Goa has to think seriously about these issues.”
The Corlim Industrial Estate surprises you with a large residential complex that has been constructed in it. Mahavir Kapadia the secretary of the Corlim Industrial Association said “Garbage is dumped and the builder has shown our main road as the approach to the complex. Who gave him permission and how he has managed to stay put is a mystery.”
He said there were 60-80 units operational and there was capacity to have 150-200 units in the zone. He was categorical when he said the state needed more industrial zones. He said “We don’t need interference from locals and there has to be a proper industrial policy. A residential complex in an industrial zone is unacceptable.
Blaize Costabir, past president of the Verna Industrial estate felt the state needed five more industrial zones in the hinterland to stop migration and to ensure that there was a more equitable development in the state.
