PANJIM: In what could put a big question mark over the government’s desire to promote more industries in the State, 61 per cent of the total plots allotted by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) have remain unutilised.
As per data furnished by GIDC under the Right to Information Act, since March 2012, plots admeasuring 661425.17 sq mt were allotted to 212 companies. However, out of this 212 companies only 129 companies are yet to start operations.
In many cases, either the companies have not taken possession or haven’t started work on construction of shed.
This is at a time when the State is facing scarcity of land to invite big industries, especially after lakhs of square metres of land have been locked in a court case on Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
While there are many plots which had been allotted recently in 2017, there are also plots which were allotted since 2012 and remain unutilised or underutilised.
For example in Verna Industrial Estate there were 18 plots allotted but all remain unutilised. While three of this plots were allotted in 2015, three were allotted in 2016 and the rest 12 were allotted in March 2017.
Similarly, in Tuem, 48 were allotted and only 46 were unutilised, at Kundaim 34 were allotted out of which 22 are unutilised. In Kakoda 10 out of 12 remain unutilised, in Panchawadi 27 out of 33 remain unutilised.
As source in the GIDC told Herald that there are hundreds of applications pending for allotments but cannot be processed for scarcity of land.
Interestingly, in 2015, GIDC had taken over 22 industrial plots, with a total area of 80,000 sq mts that had been unutilized or underutilized for the last four years.
The plots were reallocated to new industry players to set up pollution-free industries.
As per the GIDC notification dated August 1, 2014, the allottee, within a five years of taking possession has to use 30 percent of the FAR for the plot or land allotted failing which an additional lease rent of 50 per cent will be levied. The rules also empower GIDC to take over land if it is not utilised as per guidelines.
However, industrialists speaking to Herald on condition of anonymity suggest the GIDC seems to be giving a long rope for the failing allottees. “Why five years? The maximum period for starting an industry should be 1 to 2 years it cannot be more,” said an industrialist adding, “There are hundreds waiting in line to get the allotment.”
“The IDC must use its powers since it is giving land at throw-away prices,” said another businessman who had applied for allottment years back in Verna.
