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Goa-IDC to develop GIS to attract investment
By Manojit Saha
The Goa Industrial Development Corporation is developing Geographical Information System based software to make allotment procedure of land for projects simpler and to attract MNCs, FDI, hi-tech and other environment friendly industries into the state, Sandip Jacques, Managing Director, Goa-IDC, told Project Monitor in an exclusive interview. The GIS technology is expected to help the prospective entrepreneurs to obtain details by providing statistical information on industrial estates and also book the plots online. The land for these projects is acquired under the land acquisition act and GIDC has set up a special cell to gear up land acquisition proceedings.
Goa-IDC, which is acting as a catalyst for industrial growth in the state through the creation of necessary infrastructure, has already established 22 industrial estates generating employment to more than 30,000 people. As Jacques points out, "Over the years, with the advent of industrialisation in the state, Goa-IDC has paid special attention to infrastructure in the industrial estates. At present, our emphasis is to upgrade and strengthen infrastructure in the existing estates. We have also decided to make Verna Industrial Estate as a model industrial estate with state-of-the-art infrastructure, which will be followed by other states in a phased manner."
The Corporation plans to diversify its activities to include food parks and export infrastructure (see box). Jacques is confident that funding for these projects will not be a problem. He explains, "We have generated internal accruals by leasing the plots to various units besides generating funds by way of receipt of transfer fees, interest etc. We, therefore, do not anticipate any financial difficulty in completing the projects."
However, environment protection remains a core issue for the corporation. Commenting on whether the recent directive of the Ministry of Environment and Forests-making ministry clearance mandatory for industrial estates-will delay the projects, Jacques asserts, "Due care is taken to ensure that only environment-friendly units are allowed to maintain the fragile ecology of Goa. The policy of the government is very clear i.e. to have environment-friendly units."
Goa-IDC to develop GIS to attract investment
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