Luizinho clarifies on SEZ
HERALD NEWS DESK
PANJIM, DEC 2
Stating that setting up of SEZs was a collection decision of the cabinet, former Industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro has rubbished claims that he has in any way attempted to favour allotment of land to M/s Meditab Specialities Pvt. Ltd.
“When this case was received by me, I referred the same with my remarks to the Chief Minister,” he said and added that even the honorable High Court has not cast any aspiration on his conduct as Industries Minister and in fact, has found nothing wrong with the note dated March 13, 2006.
Elaborating further, Luizinho said that the so-called controversial note dated pertains to a land at Keri which was acquired in 1992 for special project of Nylon 66/DuPont. “In 1999 the said land was withdrawn from DuPont and earmarked for ‘Zero Waste Goa Food Park’ and subsequently the government vide its cabinet decision on August 16, 2004 decided to transfer the land to Goa Education Development Corporation. However another cabinet decision was taken on February 15, 2005 when I was not even the Industries Minister to revert the land back to the IDC for industrial purpose,” he pointed out and added, “So where is the question of me diverting the land from educational use to industrial SEZ?”
Explaining that it is not any individual decision but a decision taken collectively by the GIDC board of directors on April 15, 2005 to appoint experts/consultants to study the use of land, Luizinho said that on February 7, 2006 the GIDC in its board meeting resolved to establish pharma park (SEZ) at Keri.
“Since the GIDC board had already taken a decision in this regard, I forwarded the letter addressed to me by M/s Meditab Specialities Pvt. Ltd., with the note dated March 13, which is owned by Ciplas for setting up a pharma SEZ on their own on the said land in Keri which was marked for SEZ,” he clarified.
“The proposal is as per the policy of the State government and the policy of Government of India for establishment of SEZs for encouragement of exports, as part of the import export policy of 2000-2001 for augmenting facilities for export products which was expected to bring large dividends to the State in terms of economic and industrial development and generation of new employment,” he further informed and said that during the time of the note there were no protests against the setting up of SEZs in the State. “Currently the State government has taken a decision to do away with the SEZ which is within its prerogative,” he added.
Luizinho further stated that the role of Industries Minister is to promote industries and to generate revenue and employment. “Therefore my decision was in principle in accordance with policy decision in force,” he said and pointed out that in paragraph 85 of the recent High Court judgment regarding his letter the court judgment has stated that “However there is nothing on record to show that the State government had taken any decision to issue a direction, moreover no such direction is produced on record. What is stated in the note dated March 13, 2006 is merely a proposal to issue a direction in case of one company”. And in paragraph 89 of the judgment page 163 “It is already held that what is mentioned in the note is a mere recommendation and not a direction under section 16 which is required to be issued by the State government.”
