Goa to have SEZ

Sandesh Prabhudesai
16 January 2001  



While the proposal of making Goa a free port is still lying somewhere in the cold storage, the tourist state is now toying with the idea of having special economic zone in the port town of Vasco.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which had vehemently opposed the free port proposal earlier, has approved the proposal mooted by industries minister Shaikh Hassan, formerly a Congressman.

"The final decision in this regard however would be taken only after the feasibility report is carried out and provided the centre approves it", chief minister Manohar Parrikar informed the journalists after the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.

Stating that the proposal is on the lines of the SEZ being considered in Uran in Mumbai, he said the feasibility would also be carried out to fix the area. Either the whole Mormugao taluka including the port or part of it would be included in it.

As the SEZ area would be virtually a walled city outside India for all kind of economic matters, Parrikar however clarified that the state government would definitely have a control over other aspects including the law and order.

"Though the entrants would not require passport in the SEZ, import duties would be imposed for getting the goods out of these walls even in Goa", says Parrikar. Otherwise, no import or export duties would be imposed for the economic and industrial activities carried out in the SEZ.

He admits that the proposal would benefit the state only in terms of getting employment for the locals. The state has to however change several laws to accommodate the concept of a 'no men's land' within the state boundaries.

Similar kind of proposal was mooted 15 years ago when Shaikh was the minister in the then Congress government headed by Pratapsing Rane, but was shelved for want of public support. "But the BJP is not opposed to the idea in principle", states Parrikar.

Your Comments Please