PANJIM: Goa’s premier infrastructure development agency, that has constructed and developed works worth thousands of crores in the State, was not able to construct a building for itself. Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is set to inaugurate its new office at Spaces building at Patto on Tuesday for which it will pay a monthly rent of Rs 8.22 lakh.
Strangely, the inauguration is happening in the last month of the lease period. The deed of lease was signed between Nilesh Amonkar, proprietor of Spaces, and general Administration Department (GAD) through joint secretary V M Paranjape on January 17, 2014 for the period from November 1, 2013 to October 31, 2016.
The government handed over two floors to GSIDC on March 20, 2014 which it has till now used to dump all files of various departments. The government has been paying Rs 8,22,159 per month as the lease rent since November 2013 which has turned out a waste of public funds.
Since its inception, GSIDC, has been operating from the 7th and 8th floors of EDC house. One floor is owned by GSIDC whereas the second one was on lease of 1.60 lakh per month with additional 15% service tax. This was how much the government was spending on GSIDC as rent per month.
The new address at Spaces has been furnished by GSIDC by spending some more lakhs of rupees.
Speaking to Herald, Advocate Aires Rodrigues said the Goa Lokayukta should take up this case suo moto for siphoning off the state exchequer for the past three years. GAD officials said that the lease, which is expiring at the end of this month, has not yet been renewed.
