Oscar for IT minister

Hullabaloo over IT

Dayanand Narvekar's accusation that his own government, "clandestinely conceded a financial benefit" to the extent of Rs 1,060 cr to United Telecom Ltd for the government's broadband dream scheme, makes strange reading. It's actually a long-winding complaint he got tabled in the Assembly, and I really don't have the space to explain it all. But, I think you know that till date no single project of any kind has ever benefited Goa to the extent of a thousand crores! It truly reads like a script which deserves an Oscar for fantasy. Well, here's food for thought. It's amazing what MLAs ask of each other in the Assembly. But, you know what, they never appear to go anywhere with them. Often, is it called playing to the gallery!


It's all about getting land

A Mahadev Naik question produced these answers recently. So, make good use of it, because he ain't. A total of 133 plots have been allotted in Shiroda constituency for industry purposes. Three plots are still to be 'properly' utilized till date. One plot at the Bethora Industrial Estate, allotted in 2006, it transpires is within the validity period to start activity. Get hold of this, in infinitesimally tiny Goa where there are more NGOs, activists and protectionist organizations than there is land available, industrial plots that are allotted can be kept vacant for up to three years without any industrial activity. A show-cause notice has however been sent to the one offender, I think is the Electricity Department, that was given 5328.34 M2 at Rs 100 per M2. Miditech Pvt. Ltd, one of the many outstation companies to enjoy the largesse of the Congress –it was offered 67,457.50M2 of land at a miserly Rs 275 per M2 at the Shiroda Industrial Estate, is within this validity period. So, wait and see. The third company, KFG Glass Industries Ltd offered 2161.39 M2 M2 at a niggardly Rs 12 per M2 in 1996 has attracted an eviction process against it. Wait and see, again, what happens of this. Meanwhile, I am wondering if the government cannot 'evict' a small timer who is yet to 'occupy' public-owned land, how in hell are they going to evict the might owners of the SEZs?


Another progress report


Here's a list of unutilized sheds/plots estate-wise that remained unutilized two years after allotment.

Verna Industrial Estate: Laminex 2180 M2, Shailesh Packaging 1212 M2, Noble Industries 1520 M2, Ganaram's 500 M2, Shail Foods & Packaging Pvt. Ltd 2070 M2, Amartara Pvt. Ltd 3450 M2 and 1225 M2, Petals Healthcare Pvt. Ltd 8210 M2, Green Company 2220 M2, Century Comforts Pvt. Ltd 894 M2, TJ Naik & Co 4836 M2, Maheshwari Corporation 1000 M2, AVA Industries 8381 M2, Bhavani Shankar Purohit 1000 M2, Florence Flora 2300 M2, Maheswari Enterprises 1154 M2, Marine Electricals 9296 M2, Astra Metals Pvt. Ltd 10,943 M2, Matrix IT Enabled Services 4670 M2.

Colvale Industrial Estate

GKB Optolab Pvt. Ltd 6850 M2

Kundaim Industrial Estate

Aditya Electro Mechanical Works 700 M2, Gopala Masala 2356 M2, Synnovate Health Care Pvt. Ltd 3880 M2.

Pissurlem Industrial Estate

Hindustan Engineers 1600 M2.

Diu Industrial Estate

Durga Ice & Cold Storage 1886 M2, Sonal Plastic Industries 940 M2, Varundev Ice Plant & Cold Storage 1400 M2, VV Garments 700 M2.

Canacona Industrial Estate

Goa Industrial Packers 900 M2, SGA Enterprises 525 M2, Goa Packaging Products Pvt. Ltd 1980 M2.

Margao Industrial Estate

Geo Industries 1380 M2.

Sanguem Industrial Estate

Samapriya Holistic Healing Pvt. Ltd 25,297 (wow!)

Kakoda Industrial Estate

East Quepem Consumers Coop Society Ltd 1392 M2.

Bethora Industrial Estate

Dimensions 600 M2.

Madkaim Industrial Estate

Anbee Pipings Pvt. Ltd 605 M2

Pilerne Industrial Estate

Gurukrupa Logistics 600 M2

Shiroda Industrial Estate

Miditech Pvt. Ltd 67,457 M2 (wow again)

(BTW Miditech Pvt Ltd is the production company run by Nikhil and Niret Alva, sons of Margaret Alva, who was the AICC secretary in charge of Goa till she took on the Congress high command and became persona non grata. Let's not forget that Margaret Alva is currently in the doghouse after alleging last November that tickets were sold by the Congress in the Karnataka assembly election. It came out that she wanted a ticket for Nivedith, another one of her sons, but did not get it.)

(Feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9763718501)