The Hindu : National : Scrap SEZ projects: Goa Task Force

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Monday, Dec 31, 2007
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Scrap SEZ projects: Goa Task Force

PANAJI: The Task Force set up by the State government to prepare the Goa Regional Plan-2021, a comprehensive land utilisation plan, has unanimously recommended scrapping of special economic zone (SEZ) projects. It has concluded that the “SEZs are detrimental to the overall interest of Goa.”

Report submitted

The report, submitted to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Saturday, has said the process of permitting SEZs in Goa is in conflict with the letter and spirit of the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution. The task force is headed by Mr. Kamat himself.

While the Opposition parties and socio-activist organisations have long been opposing the SEZs, the ruling Congress joined the chorus on Saturday. The Nationalist Congress Party, an ally in the coalition government, was the first to demand scrapping of the SEZ projects.

The Chief Minister is expected to make a public statement on the SEZs on January 2 as promised by him to the agitating groups, which have deferred their agitation till then.

Wide interaction

Addressing presspersons on Sunday, 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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