SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: While the State is spending hundreds of crores of rupees on white elephant projects like multi-level car parking, it is dragging its feet on constructing a premises of its own for various government departments and corporations that are paying huge rents to private parties.
Even as the government talks of austerity measures it is paying huge amounts to private players, mainly friends of the BJP, in terms of rent for their premises hired by government departments. And, to please these so-called friends of the BJP the State is spending Rs 50 crore annually as rent.
The biggest beneficiary of this government’s largesse is Nilesh Amonkar, who owns the building Spaces as the State is paying him a monthly rent of Rs 42.92 lakh which amounts to be Rs 5.15 cr annually.
Information available with Herald reveals that Spaces houses the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (1030 sq mts), Commercial Taxes Department (460 sq mts), Town & Country Planning Department (186.5 sq mt), and District and Sessions Court (2425 sq mt).
The area taken on lease at Spaces building Patto works out to 3915.98 sq metres (1st to 7th floor) and at Kamat Towers at 5th and 7th floor, an area of 575.5 sq metres owned by Apex Computer and Engineering Services, represented by its managing partner Nilesh Amonkar.
As per information available from GAD, an amount of Rs 23,59,60,078 has been paid from November 1, 2013 up to January 2018 (inclusive of all taxes); at the rate of Rs 42,92,905 per month, with the annual increase of 3.5% on the last paid monthly rent (excluding all taxes) during the previous year. Sounds huge right?
Another beneficiary of this government offer is the Alcon Group, as the Directorate of Information Technology and Info-Tech Corporation is housed in their building alongside NH17 at Porvorim. The State is paying rent of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh for the two floors respectively (total Rs 1 cr annually). While the State is bleeding money for these premises, the department employees are upset as the building does not have parking spaces and is around 10 kms away from the city.
Besides this, the Administrative Tribunal is paying a rent of Rs 1,15,000 for the premises in Dr Vaidya Hospital Building.
The Department of Co-operation pays a monthly rent to Goa State Co-operative Bank Ltd amounting to Rs 3,06,000 towards an office space in Sahakar Sankul, Patto.
The department also pays an amount of Rs 51,000 to Goa Co-operative Marketing Federation towards 220 sq mts space utilised for the office of Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies in Panjim and another monthly amount of Rs 30,505 to Gomant Vidya Niketan, Margao towards 370 sq mts of space utilised for office of assistant registrar of Co-operative Societies, Margao.
Apart from this, Herald investigations have revealed that the State is paying another Rs 15 lakh for renting small premises throughout the State.
Moreover, there are several premises in the State owned buildings like Junta House and Paraiso de Goa, Porvorim, lying vacant.
When Herald questioned officials at the Finance Department on the issue they refused to comment. However, a top officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “There are no rules framed by the government on leasing premises for departments and corporations. But they have to take finance concurrence before leasing any premises.”
The concurrence has been taken. But this willful decision to bleed the exchequer so that private builders close to the ruling forces can lease their spaces, will never get the concurrence of the people of Goa.
