Struggling to allot land for new industries: CM (Herald)

Struggling to allot land for new industries: CM August 13, 2013 TEAM HERALD PANJIM: More than 33% of the State’s industrial land is locked as land allotted to SEZ and the government is struggling for land to allot to new industries as well as for expansion of existing industries, said Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday. Addressing media persons after a day-long interaction with industrialists and industrialist association, the chief minister also said that the State was on the threshold of around Rs 6,000 crore worth investment inflow. “There is virtually no land left. 33% of the 113-lakh sq m that has been allotted by the GIDC (Goa Industrial Development Corporation) till date is locked in the SEZs. We have brought together around 5-6 lakh square metres of land through getting entrepreneurs to surrender unused land. It will be allotted,” Parrikar said. Parrikar had officials of the Goa State Pollution Board, fire force, industries department and other affiliated departments with him as more than a hundred industrialists placed before him their grievances. These ranged from not getting permissions to set up industries for even upto three years even after all licences paid to being told that there was no land available, water problems, electricity, etc. He said that while for now the selection process of allotment of land was being done by a committee, the principal secretary, in the future it would be done by a special committee which would go through parameters like the kind of industry, amount of land needed, number of jobs it was offering, whether it was polluting or not, etc. Parrikar also said that he was proposing a higher FAR that will be allowed only in industrial estates and restricted to industry constructions and in some cases even allow 200% for greater growth. Parrikar promised to hold more such meetings every quarter or every four months in a bid to iron out the problems that the industrialists face with either the GIDC or with other departments concerning industries. “We were able to resolve some of the issues today itself, in other cases it will be one in a couple of days, in still other cases the rules and laws need to be amended, which might take three months,” Parrikar said. The day-long interaction was attended by members of the CII, the GCCI, the GSIA and small and large entrepreneurs. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Struggling-to-allot-land-for-new-industries-CM/78153.html