Staff Reporter
Panaji
Plots in industrial estates across the state are set to get costlier with the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) considering a 10% increase in the industrial land rate to align it with the current
market conditions.
The move, although not final, is likely to upset small industrial unit owners in the state who have already been feeling the pinch of competing with large industries at the auctioning of plots carried out by GIDC.
The proposal to raise the plot rates came up during the GIDC’s 394th board meeting held on Tuesday where the issue of revision of rates based on the prevailing market conditions was on the agenda.
According to GIDC, the last revision by 5% took place in June 2022, during the 380th board meeting. Since then, although the matter was taken up for discussion in subsequent meetings, it was not implemented due to
various reasons.
The board pointed out that it conducts an annual review of industrial plot rates and would evaluate the proposed hike in land rates before deciding to come out with the new rates for plots.
The GIDC presently has 29 industrial plots for e-auction in the sixth round of the auction process, of which 20 plots are in the prime location of Verna industrial estate, while nine are commercial plots in different industrial estates.
The board meeting was chaired by Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho in the presence of GIDC chairman Reginaldo Lourenco, managing director Pravimal Abhishek and other board members.
The meeting also saw members giving approval to infrastructure projects valued at around Rs 100 crore, for improving facilities within the industrial estates. The works include construction of sheds for solid waste management in Cuncolim, Kundaim, Pissurlem, Verna and Tuem industrial estates, construction of a new canteen in Kundaim estate, construction of concrete drainage at Sancoale estate, laying of a 200 mm DI water supply pipeline from Siolim-Pernem road to Phase-II at Tuem industrial estate, among others.
“The substantial investment in infrastructure works reaffirms the Corporation’s commitment to creating a more robust industrial landscape,” said Lourenco post meeting.
He said the Corporation would be collaborating with the World Economic Forum to organise a workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI), tailored specifically for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
The GIDC has on board over 1,000 industries on the Online Platform for Enterprise Network (OPEN) portal, aimed at digital governance and positioning Goa as a digitally progressive industrial hub.
