THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Residents of Tuem in Pernem taluka have demanded that the long-delayed Electronic City project be completed and employment opportunities be created for local youth instead of introducing other projects in and around the area.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Saturday, Tuem Citizens' Committee member Tulsidas Raut said the Electronic City was envisioned as a Greenfield electronics manufacturing hub.
He said, the government had acquired private land for the project, but no manufacturing unit has been established there so far, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project in 2016.
"More than a decade later, not a single factory has come up on the acquired land measuring around 2.5 lakh square metres," Raut said, alleging that the government is now considering setting up a construction and demolition waste treatment plant and an IT Convention Centre at the site.
Local residents, he said, are opposing both proposals.
"The priority should be to complete the Electronic City and generate jobs for local youth," Raut said.
Questioning the Convention Centre proposal, he said it had no connection with the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster originally planned for the area. A convention centre is linked to the hospitality sector and would not create manufacturing-based employment, he argued.
The committee also opposed the proposed construction of a waste treatment plant at a nearby site.
Raut pointed out that a school and a church are located close to the proposed site and expressed concern over its possible environmental impact on both these institutions.
He further objected to plans for a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) facility in the area which is expected to house around 5,000 personnel, placing additional pressure on local infrastructure such as water and power supply.
"Tuem has a population of about 4,000. Bringing in another 5,000 people from outside will put a heavy burden on the village's resources," Raut said, adding that residents are therefore opposing the CISF project as well.
