GIDC’S inspection report has not deterred food and fisheries product manufacturing units situated in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate as illegalities continue unabated. In its part-2 of the three-part series, Cuncolim- the estate of illegality,
O Heraldo reports on unheeded warnings by industrial units, perpetrators of dangerous pollution in the area
PANJIM: In utter violation of law, the food and fish processing plants situated in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate have defied the government’s order to vacate the residential premises inside the industrial plots by March 23.
The Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) had warned the companies that if they failed to vacate the residential premises by March 23, then the Corporation would cancel the occupancy certificates and disconnect the water and electricity connections and withdraw plot transfer allotment orders. It had also warned the erring industries that the GIDC would initiate strict action both – civil and criminal against them in accordance with the law.
During the joint inspection carried out on March 17 by a team of officials comprising GIDC Managing Director, Pravimal Abhishek, Directorate of Factories and Boilers, Cuncolim Police and the Labour and Employment Department besides others, it was revealed that fish processing plants such as M/s Sagar Foods and Food Processing Industry, Quality Marine Products, M/s Quality Foods, Quality Exports and Steel Rolling Mills of Orange Fox Steel, Shraddha Plant and others, had violated the IDC housing rules by keeping 300 to 400 migrant workers, within their respective allotted plots by constructing structures and dormitories.
The inspection was in follow-up to the statements made by Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao during the Assembly session held in January this year. Prior to the inspection, show cause notices were issued on two occasions to all these industrial units, which had violated GIDC rules. Alemao had pointed out that in the absence of a nodal agency to coordinate with various government departments to stop ongoing illegalities were causing social tensions in Cuncolim town.
