Task Force joins anti-SEZ
chorus
Agencies, Panaji
30 December 2007
The Task Force for Regional Plan 2021, set up by the state
government, has recommended scrapping of special economic
zone (SEZ) projects, stating that they are detrimental to
the overall interest of Goa.”
The Task Force is headed by chief minister Digambar Kamat.
The Task Force members yesterday submitted the report to the
CM.
The report said the process of permitting SEZs in Goa is
in conflict with the letter and spirit of the 73rd Amendment
to the Constitution.
Addressing the media, members of the task force led by its
vice–president and architect Charles Correa, and town
planner Edgar Rebeiro, who is Adviser to the Goa government
on land utilisation, gave an account of their interaction
with various stakeholders, including developers of the SEZs,
government agencies, elected representatives, heads of government
departments, NGOs and individuals.
“After analysing their submissions and after detailed
deliberations, we unanimously arrived at the conclusion that
the SEZs are detrimental to the overall interest of the tiny
State considering the pressures they would exert on scarce
land and also on the infrastructure,” said Mr. Correa.
Incentives
The Task Force report said industrialisation and employment
generation could be achieved without the SEZs, if incentives
were extended to incoming industries and if the government
provided them excellent infrastructure — roads, water
and power.The Task Force said Goa would not get substantial
revenue benefits by way of direct and indirect taxes from
the SEZs. On the contrary, the State would have to incur expenditure
on infrastructure.
Significantly, the Task Force echoed the agitators’
apprehension that the employment benefit from the SEZs would
not accrue largely to locals and it would lead to a large-scale
influx of people, putting pressure on land and resources.
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