PANAJI
While the government claims that the State has a paucity of industrial land, the fact is that over 13.97 lakh sqm of land — comprising more than 31 per cent of plots across industrial estates — is either vacant or occupied by sick and closed industrial units.
The information provided on the Floor of the House by Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho also reveals that the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) is left with close to one lakh sqm of land for new investors who approach them.
As per the data, of the total 3,011 industrial plots, spread across 23 industrial estates, 417 plots are vacant and available to be leased out, while another 319 plots are occupied by sick and closed industrial units. There are 209 plots, which are already leased out by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) but continue to remain vacant with no ground work.
There are a total of 2,066 plots where the industries are currently functioning.
The data shows that the Verna industrial estate has got the maximum of 5.68 lakh sqm of vacant land having 17 plots occupied by sick and closed units and nine are available for leasing. There are 54 leased plots but lying idle.
The Quitol industrial estate has got maximum of 169 plots available for leasing followed by Latambarcem with 68 plots, Sanguem with 58 plots and Panchwadi with 44 plots that could be leased out. The Latambarcem and Panchwadi industrial estates have got 17 and 32 industrial plots, each that are leased out but lying vacant.
The maximum numbers of 41 sick or closed industrial units are located in the Kundaim industrial estate while Kakoda has got 39, Cuncolim has 38 and Margao has 31 such units.
On the other hand, Goa IPB has got around 99,522 sqm of available land for future investment. GIDC reserves 40 per cent of their land for IPB.
IPB has got no land in the most demanded industrial estates of Verna, Kundaim, Shiroda among others like Bethora, Bicholim, Honda, Latambarcem, Mapusa, Madkai, Pilerne, Quitol, Sanguem, Sancoale and Tivim.
IPB has got maximum of 56,746 sqm of land available in Panchwadi industrial estate, followed by 30,511 sqm in Pissurlem, 2,924 sqm in Tuem, 2,870 sqm in Cuncolim, 2,639 sqm in Kakoda and 2,576 sqm in Canacona among others.
