The apex body of industries in the state, Goa State Industries Association, has alleged that certain village panchayats are demanding bribes from industrial units that are looking to expand their operations. It is alleged that a panch of Corlim panchayat had recently demanded a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a manufacturing company to approve the firm’s construction license. This is a typical problem that industries have to face when they operate outside designated industrial estates. On every occasion that units want to expand they have to mandatorily obtain approvals from the TCP, pollution control board, electricity department as well as NOCs from the local panchayat or municipality. The recent announcement by the TCP minister to make the functioning of planning and development authorities more transparent and efficient is a welcome move, but good intentions have to be translated into action on the ground. On the one side, we talk ad nauseam about zero tolerance to corruption and single-window clearance ( that window seems to remain shut though), but the government lacks the political will to take action against demanders of bribes. If we want to kickstart employment and economic development after the devastation caused by Covid, the powers that be need to remove all unnecessary hurdles for employment-generating industries. As a first step, payment of license fees/tariffs to panchayats and other government bodies should be moved online to ensure transparency and weed out corruption.
