Labels company as ‘anti-Goa industry’ for predominantly recruiting non-Goans
PANAJI
The land repossession deal involving pharmaceutical giant Cipla has come under sharp attack, with Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai labelling the transaction a “major scam” and accusing the government of collusion with the company to the detriment of Goans.
“Cipla is an anti-Goa industry. They get all the outsider recruits. I have many Cipla employees in my constituency who are all outsiders. If one non-Goan manager is recruited, he brings in the entire staff under him from outside Goa,” Sardesai alleged.
He further questioned the government’s decision to pay Rs 33 crore to reclaim land that was originally allotted to Cipla under the now-scrapped SEZ policy in 2006 at a much lower cost.
“Cipla was allotted land in Curti for Rs 9.80 crore in 2009. Why is the government now being so generous and paying Rs 33 crore to the same company, which does not even hire Goans? I will pursue this matter and raise it in this Assembly session. This is nothing but match-fixing,” Sardesai alleged.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced in the House that the government had repossessed 12,32,000 sqm of land in Keri, Ponda, from Cipla. The land, which was originally allotted at Rs 80 per sqm, was bought back at over Rs 267 per sqm – a more than threefold increase in value.
Questions are being raised about why the government agreed to pay a premium for land it had originally allotted and was widely expected to win back through legal means. “Goa was expected to win the case in the Supreme Court, yet the government has gone in for an out-and-out settlement,” Sardesai said, adding, “Earlier, the government used a one-time settlement scheme to throw out all SEZ companies. Why did Cipla not agree back then? Why are they now being allowed to return and take extra money? Dal mein kuch kala hai.”
