TEAM HERALD
Panjim: Goa Industrial Development Corporation Chairman Ganesh Gaonkar admitted that the corporation was once labelled as dishonest, corrupt and inefficient, but it was now shedding weight and he planned to do more to make it efficient.
There were, he said, a series of transformations at the GIDC. The corporation, he said, had restricted itself to setting up industrial estates and offering developed plots instead of being responsible for industrial development, as it was originally expected to be. Issues like the maintenance of the estates, development and up-gradation of facilities, developing entrepreneurial ability and promoting growth avenues were forgotten. Budgets were not earmarked nor did anyone show the willingness to do so.
Goa has 22 commissioned estates with allotments totalling 4000 units. Of these industrial estates at Panchwadi, and Quittol, are yet to be developed. Major categories of industry are pharma, light engineering, food products, and electronics. GIDC is also planning to develop two model industrial estates with world class facilities, one each at north and south Goa.
With the expansion plans at Latambarcem in Bicholim, Shiroda and Verna Phase V, over 5 lakh sq mts of land would be available, as also over 10 lakh sq mts at Quitol and Panchwadi. These figures should permanently put to rest the misconception that land availability may remain a deterrent to industrial development, he said.
He said a task force of the previous government found that 144 plots in different industrial estates were vacant and that efforts would be made to bring them back to use.
On the subject of unfreezing land he said the IDC had allotted land to the tune of 38 lakh sq mts to SEZs. He sought clarity on government policy to free the large chunk of land parcels, which will solve the ‘land availability problem’ once and for all.
To help existing units expand he said GIDC planned to grant increase in floor area ratio for industries from the existing 1 to 1.5 or 2 so that the units can expand within the available space. This increase in FAR will also be applicable for hotels with certain conditions. He said GIDC was seeking a role in supplying power to industrial units set up in its estates by sourcing electricity from the feeder which could be tested for Verna Industrial Estate. The supply could be provided through bus bars (a line connecting feeder to the transformer) to the IDC which could manage the internal distribution of power to the industrial estate.
To improve its finances, an online payment gateway service will facilitate the timely payment of taxes to IDC. IDC claims to receive an estimated Rs 20 crore every fiscal in revenue.
