the goan I network
PANAJI
Speaking at Congress House, Adv Naik charged that some of the present ruling allies had opposed the IPB tooth and nail before the elections and alleged that they have now fallen in line so as to secure their political interests.
Congress questioned the delay in disclosure of the ruling coalition’s Common Minimum Programme. “This government has no agenda for governance. The CMP is now the ‘Comprehensive Mismanagement Plan’. This is a coalition of disparate voices and no ideology. They have come together for the lust of power and reconstitution of the IPB illustrates this,” said Adv Naik in an attempt to drive home his point.
The Congress general secretary recalled that when an alcohol brewery, a ‘red category’ industry, was granted in-principle approval at Amdai in Sanguem, the political leaders in question had opposed the same through a ‘maad yatra’ and several public protests.
Congress reiterated its opposition to the high-handed and arbitrary IPB and expressed fear that the single-window system is eating into ‘Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn’.
“Investment Promotion Act has overriding powers which do away with Town and Country Planning Act, Municipalities Act, Corporation of City of Panaji Act, Panchayat Raj Act, Land Revenue Code, Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction Act, Regional Plan, Outline Development Plans, land use maps and all other local laws,” Adv Naik stated.
He noted that Goa has very strong laws favouring employment generation and land-use patterns. “But this IP Act revolves around the axis that once an area is notified by the IPB for investment, all the other laws cease to apply to the marked land. It is for this reason that Congress will always stand against the IPB,” the Congress general secretary explained.
