Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) chairman Glenn Ticlo on Tuesday said that unlocking 38 lakh sq mtrs of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) land will help the growth of the saturated industrial sector.
Ticlo alleged that the SEZs was a major scam reported during the then Congress regime, which the Manohar Parrikar-led government is trying to sort it out.
Addressing media persons, Ticlo said the new Industrial Regulation that allowed additional 7.5 percent of the open space area for development, has come as a major boost for expansion of the industrial sector.
“And now with SEZ land coming back to the State, it will prove a further boon to the industries, as there was no land available to welcome new industries,” he said. Of the 38 lakh sq mtrs of land allotted to the seven SEZ promoters, 22 lakh sq mtrs was given at Verna, 12 lakh sq mtrs in in Keri and two lakh sq mtrs in Sancoale.
“There is scarcity of land. And with mining industry closing down and tourism being saturated, we want to focus on the industrial sector and for that purpose, availability of land is very important,” Ticlo stated.
He said that IDC has completed the survey to identify unutilised, vacant plots and so also the additional area that would be available post reduction in open spaces. “In next two months, we will start the process of plot allotments,” he said.
Taking a dig at Congress President Girish Chodankar, who had objected to the government paying Rs 133 crore interest to SEZ promoters, Ticlo said that Opposition needs to get their facts correct before coming out in public.
“SEZ promoters had paid us an amount of Rs 120 crore and the interest amount is Rs 123 crore. It is also not tax payers money, but the interest accumulated on Rs 120 fixed deposit,” he said, adding that the government has adopted a transparent method and has also informed the Supreme Court, that has dismissed the petition filed by the companies.
Ticlo further said that the government has followed all the procedures, unlike Congress, which gave away the land at a throwaway price and without a policy in place. “It was a big scam on the part of Congress, involving former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane, then Industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro and ex IDC chairman Chandrakant Kavalekar,” he said.
