PANAJI: The government continues its step motherly treatment towards the state’s industrial sector with infrastructure, particularly roads, being left in a bad state, said Goa State Industries Association (GSIA).
Virtually poking holes into the state’s ambitions to become a logistics hub for the western sector, GSIA said that roads in most of the industrial estates are in pathetic conditions.
GSIA president Damodar Kochkar also criticised the government for repeatedly asking for funds from the private sector while making no attempt to address the concerns of the industry. “They need us only when they want funds or some CSR. The condition of the roads even in the prime industrial estate is very bad,” said Kochkar. “The industry, which is the highest contributor to the state’s GDP, has been completely neglected by the government.”
Chief minister Pramod Sawant had directed the PWD to repair all national highways, state highways and major district roads by November 1. However, roads in industrial estates were not repaired.
“The government, which had made a budgetary provision of Rs 10 crore for improving the infrastructure in industrial estates, should at least release some funds to the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) for up-keep of the industrial estates,” Kochkar said.
Kochkar, who is a member on GIDC’s board, said that the government-run corporation is bankrupt and unable to pay salaries and develop infrastructure. GSIA has demanded an investigation into GIDC’s fund utilisation and the tenders for infrastructure works.
“GIDC is harassing the industries at every possible opportunity to extract money to pay their salaries and other administrative costs. Exorbitant fees are charged to issue construction licences. For extension of construction licence, three times of the fees are charged, which works out to more than erecting a simple industrial shed. Further, if the implementation of the project is delayed for any reason beyond three years, lakhs of rupees are charged as penalty to grant extension,” Kochkar added.
He also demanded that a contract to digitise GIDC should be given to a reputed private firm so that the work can be completed in a short time frame and at a reasonable cost. “For the last four years, Goa Electronics Ltd has been struggling to digitise Goa-IDC services,” he said.
