TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Saturday said that the government will unlock the 38 lakh square metres of land in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and would utilize it in Goa’s interest. The SEZ issue is currently in litigation before the Supreme Court.
“I am after them (SEZ promoters). We will get the land unlocked and utilize it in the interest of the state. I assure that the land would be utilized only in the interest of Goa,” Parsekar said, without divulging the plan of the government.
The chief minister was speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the ongoing information technology (IT) investor’s convention in Panjim.
“Why should I disclose all my plans to the media? I don’t want the issue to be public,” Parsekar said.
Parsekar was basically reiterating his predecessor Manohar Parrikar’s assurance that his government is in talks with the promoters to unlock SEZ land. Parrikar had proposed that if promoters agree on mutual understanding then 30 per cent of land would be reserved for the promoters, provided they carry out projects as per the government’s demand and requirement.
Earlier, while addressing the investors meet, Info Tech Corporation Chairman Subhash Phaldesai said that Goa cannot have SEZ. “SEZ is like a ‘gali’ (bad word), for Goa’s industrial sector,” he commented.
Approximately 38,40,886 square metres of land was allotted for setting up of SEZs in Goa by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC). BJP-government has already announced not to have SEZ concept in Goa but instead utilize the land for industrial development.
After a public outcry and several protests through 2006-08, then Congress government had decided to scrap seven land-intensive SEZs and withdraw the state SEZ policy. Three of the seven SEZs were already notified by the Union Trade and Commerce Ministry and four were under process of being notified.
The Supreme Court in 2011, in a petition filed by six SEZ promoters, had issued notices to the Centre, Goa government and IDC asking them to maintain status quo, staying the November 2010 order of the Bombay High Court at Goa upholding the cancellation of land allotment to seven SEZ promoters.
