BJP releases list on Verna land sales
NT Staff Reporter Panaji, Oct 24 Brushing off the information provided by the Power Minister, Mr Aleixo Sequeira in the capacity of a director of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation that a meeting of the board of directors held in September 2005 decided to hike the rate of land at the Verna industrial estate from prevailing Rs 375 per sq mt to Rs 600 per sq mt, the Bharatiya Janata Party today released a list which showed land in different phases of this estate being sold at an absurdly low rate after September 2005. Addressing a press conference this evening, the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar said that in a reply to a starred question dated March 6, 2007, the government had informed that a number of lands had been sold in the phase I of the Verna Industrial Estate after September 2005, when the rate of land according to Mr Sequeira, was already revised to Rs 600 per sq mt. The list informed that M/s DLink India Ltd was allotted 1,361 sq mts area on June 30, 2006 at the rate of Rs 375 per sq mts, while the same company was allotted 3,900 sq mts of land on October 8, 2005 at the rate of Rs 375 per sq mt. M/s Sumit Print and Pack was allotted 1,820 sq mts of land on October 10, 2006 at the rate of Rs 225 per sq mt, while M/s Smitha Engineering Works was allotted 3,252 sq mts of land on November 9, 2005 at the rate of Rs 225 per sq mt, the list pointed out. Speaking further, Mr Parrikar said that Mr Francis Fernandes, Ms Antonette DSilva, Mr Laxmikant Vernekar and Mr Shrihari Kerkar were allotted lands on September 19, 2005, September 22, 2005, February 13, 2006 and February 13, 2006, respectively, under the utility land category at a rate of Rs 100 per sq mts, when utility plots are actually priced at Rs 1,300 per sq mts. The opposition leader said that a number of lands in phase II B, phase II D, phase II E, phase III A, and phase III B have similarly been allotted to a large number of companies and people, under the electronics, engineering, utilities, warehousing and logistics, fabrication and packaging categories at a throwaway price, causing serious loss to the state exchequer. Mr Parrikar also maintained that while these lands were being allotted at cheap rate, the process for setting up special economic zones in the state started and the GIDC authorities, including its directors started allotment of lands for the SEZ in Verna industrial estate in the same manner. He pointed out that Planet View Mercantile Pvt Ltd, K Raheja Pvt Ltd, INOX Mercantile Pvt Ltd and Paradigm Logistics and Distribution had applied for land admeasuring 1,32,000 sq mts, 7,91,732 sq mts, 4,84,832 sq mts and 2,64,419 sq mts, respectively, in the Verna industrial estate, and got the same allotted to them within a week of their application. The Planet View Mercantile Pvt Ltd was not even a registered company at the time of land allotment and did not submit its registration documents with the application, Mr Parrikar charged, questioning the decision of the board of directors of the GIDC to grant land allotments with super-speed haste. Mr Parrikar also blamed the director and secretary to the department of industries and mines, for being absent at the GIDC meetings. http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=102510 Sanny de Quepem <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
