the goan I network
PANAJI
The Government of Goa has empowered the Investment Promotion Board to truly become a single window system for facilitating projects empowering the Board to seek other necessary clearances on behalf of the project proponents who approach them.
In an order issued on Monday, the Government has decreed that “the Board shall act as a single window for project proposals received by them for projects covered under section 8 of the said Act. However, the role of the Board shall be limited to that of a facilitator in obtaining requisite clearances/approvals from the Central Government/ State Government department and other agencies.”
“The Board shall within seven days from the receipt of the orders of the competent authority either sanctioning or rejecting the clearance, as the case may be forward the same to the applicant which shall result into the disposal of the application,” the order further reads.
Section 8 of the Investment Promotion Act mandates that the Board will not recommend for approval projects for the purpose of setting up of projects or for investment promotion under this Act on khazan lands and low-lying paddy fields except for the purpose of activities as permissible such as, agriculture, dairy farming and other allied activities; sloping land with a gradient of more than 25%; forest lands and wildlife areas except for the purpose of activities as permissible thereon, such as gaming reserve, sanctuary lodges, eco-tourism, forest tourism, etc.; Coastal Regulatory Zone areas except where the foreshore facilities are required and tenanted agricultural land except for agricultural activities carried out by the tenant or deemed purchaser.
However, the Act provides that activities shall be permitted subject to the approval by the relevant authorities under the relevant laws.
Prior to this, the Government had said and even submitted before the High Court that the approval of the Investment Promotion Board did not automatically mean that various necessary permissions like that of CRZ clearances or pollution board clearances or forest clearances were automatically obtained.
The project promoters would have to apply for the permissions on their own. Now, instead, it will be the Investment Promotion Board applying on their behalf.
The Investment Promotion Board has cleared around 150 project proposals bringing in an estimated investment of ₹9,000 crore. However many of the projects cleared by the IPB are controversial and the Government has had to rescind the IPB approval because they were in violation of Section 8 of the IPB Act.
