Colours to decide Goan industry
Sandesh Prabhudesai
21 June 2002
Red, orange and green - these three colours
will now decide fate of any industry that intends to come
down to Goa, with a lucrative package of subsidy and other
incentives.
Classifying industries into three categories,
the tourist state has decided to keep away the red category
out, while encouraging environment-friendly and employment-generating
industry.
"My government is in favour of encouraging
industries like pharmaceuticals, software, precision engineering,
biotechnology and so on", states chief minister Manohar
Parrikar.
He has not yet spelt out the red category
list. But he is firm on discouraging fly-by-night operators
also, just not the pollutant chemical units that would
hamper the tourism industry here. He is also aiming at
long-term investment.
Stating that the green category will
be listed out by next month, Parrikar has also announced
25 per cent subsidy to all such green units, with an investment
ceiling of Rs 2.5 million, provided they are located in
six interior talukas of the state - Pernem, Bicholim,
Sattari, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona.
Subject to an investment ceiling of Rs
1.5 million, the state is also prepared to give 15 per
cent subsidy to such units, if they are located elsewhere
than these six talukas.
Industries falling in the category of
orange will not be covered any kind of subsidised scheme.
He has also made budgetary provision
to strengthen infrastructure of the existing industrial
estates, including roads, transport, fire brigade and
residential plots for the workers.
In addition, Parrikar has now also decided
to extend the benefit of reduced water tariff of Rs 20
per cubit metre to all the industrial units in the state,
which was restricted to those being set up in the industrial
estates alone.
To attract industries that would consume
50 per cent of its raw material from Goa's mining and
industrial waste like mining rejects, slag from pig iron
plants, blast furnaces, fly ash from thermal plants and
all such pollutant waste products. Besides special subsidies,
these units are also offered reduced power tariff.
While proper well-targeted industrial
policy has been a real neck in the pain of the unorganised
industrial development in the tourist state so far, the
BJP government here now wants to place the document by
August, listing out its priorities.
Parrikar even has plans to set up professional
groups, which will facilitate and expedite commercial
value addition to agro-based products, with special focus
on export-oriented floriculture and horticulture.
Dismantling the old system of clearing
any industrial project through a high power co-ordination
committee, the state will now have a Board for Investment
and Export Import Promotion, dealing with industry as
well as tourism projects.
In order to change the whole focus of
industrialisation, even the industries department is being
renamed as the department of industries, trade and commerce.
The name itself says it all.
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