PANJIM: With saturation of the existing industrial estates turning out to be the biggest challenge in promoting Goa as an investment hub, the State government is in the process of working out the modalities to set up new industrial estates. Due to the sharp increase in land cost, owing to the new Land Acquisition Act, the government is considering the ‘vertical’ estate concept.
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the nodal agency for industrial development in the State, is discussing the modalities for the new estates with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Speaking to Herald, IDC Managing Director Narayan Gad said the government is currently working on a proposal for new industrial estates, as the existing are saturated. “Everything is still in the planning stage. We have to consider a lot of factors, especially with the new Land Acquisition Act, the rates are high,” he said.
Sources at the secretariat confirm that the government is contemplating
vertical industrial estates, which will be meant to encourage small entrepreneurs to set up new micro and small industrial units, rather than units that require more space. “Government is committed to promote Goa as industrial/investment destination. For this purpose there is need for more industrial plots. You cannot set up industry anywhere,” sources said.
Since the introduction of IDC Allotment Regulations 2014 and IDC Transfer and Sublease Regulation 2014, the Corporation has allotted 140 new plots to small and micro industrial players for setting up units, however, nearly 60 per cent of these plots are still vacant.
In a bid to take possession of plots that have been unutilised and underutilised for more than five years, IDC has constituted a flying squad under the General Manager engineering, to identify and take possession of all such plots. “The committee will operate from the head office. They will conduct the inspection of vacant plots and recommend them for IDC to take possession,” Gad said.
