http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/The-story-of-IDC-it-rsquo-s-sinister-lsquo-plots-rsquo/45044.html
The story of IDC & it’s sinister ‘plots’ The Goa Industrial Development Corporation in its ‘Citizen’s Charter’ invites companies to set up business to boost industrialization in the State. But over the years, like much else in Goa, the process of allotment of land has been reportedly riddled with irregularities. TEAM HERALD, after studying various documents of the IDC sourced through the Right To Information, investigates one such case as a example of the rot in the system PANJIM: Some scams are not measured by numbers. But by mindsets. This is a story of one such scam and it is ongoing and running. It is a story of how the Goa Industrial Development Corporation, with a mandate to encourage professional entrepreneurship, has prima facie, been allotting prime plots to individuals and companies with any due diligence. Herald’s investigations have revealed that some cases and notably a specific one, a plot of land, valued at Rs 2.63 crore was issued to an individual and then transferred to another company which had a paid up capital of a mere Rs 1 lakh. And to top it all, this company, along with 12 others applied for a transfer of this plot to another international company, on the last day before any IDC banned further transfer of plots. This investigation is about obvious irregularities and therefore calls for a through probe of allotment of plots in all 23 industrial estates in Goa. The focus is not so much on the companies but on IDC and its way of allotting plots. That is the subject of scrutiny. The silver lining has been the constitution of a task force on August 24, 2010, by the Industries Department, headed by the Chief Minister, and the Industries Secretary and consisting of eminent and forceful names of Goan industry. The task force has looked into underutilized plots and will point out irregularities in the allotment of plots. While this task force is nearing completion and we all await its report, the case of Plot number U03 measuring 35,000 sqm in Verna Industrial Estate Phase IV. Before we go further, let us introduce the main protagonists of this case. 1) The IDC headed by its Chairman and Quepem MLA Candrakant (Babu) Kavlekar. 2) Santosh Kust Desai, House Number 209, Moll Fatorpa, Quepem, Goa applied and was allotted plot number U03 for his stated business of Warehousing and Logistics. 3) C-582, Mehul Developers Private Limited, Lower Ground Floor (basement), Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024 — business unknown. Company mentioned as “Under Formation”, but was already formed a year earlier (according to documents with the Herald). FOCUS 1: The plot was allotted to Santosh Kust Desai on August 3, 2006 to set up a warehouse. At this point of time Santosh Desai did not submit a project report, financial sanction for plant and machinery or his PAN card. Like all other allotments on that day, there was no plot number mentioned. The ‘salient features’ of the project mentioned the project cost at Rs 3.50 crore and investment of plant and machinery of Rs 20 lakh. The unit was not registered. This bags the question. How were the project, plant and machinery costs arrived at when no project report was submitted? FOCUS 2: Then comes the curious turn. In the BOD meeting 294 of the Goa IDC, held on February 15, 2007, the plot number is allotted. Agenda no 14 of the minutes of the meeting mentions that plot U03 being allotted to Desai. However, another resolution passed by the Board (number 38/2007) reads “Resolved unanimously that the proposal to approve the allotment of utility plot U03 admeasuring 35,000 sqm in VIE Phase IV to M/s Mehul Developers Pvt Ltd for their IT/ITES project, subject to compliance of our usual terms and conditions and is hereby approved”. Please note. The same plot allotted to Santosh Kust Desai of Quepem is allotted to Mehul Developers of Delhi, a company “not yet formed” according to IDC. Documents sourced by Herald reveal that even this wasn’t true. According to the Registrar of Companies Delhi, the company (registration number 151328) was incorporated on July 27, 2006, seven months before IDC allotted it 35,000 sqm. Mehul had a paid up capital of a mere Rs 1 lakh and was allotted property worth Rs 2.5 crore. Further questions need to be asked. The rate of land was fixed at Rs 650 per sqm. If it was a transfer, the rate went up to Rs 750 per sqm. Since the resolution does not mention transfer, how could the same plot be allotted to two companies? And if it was transfer then did Mehul pay Rs 750 per sqm amounting to Rs 2.63 crore? And if it did, where did the funding come from since its capital was Rs 1 lakh. But that is not all. The company was then registered with the Software Technology Park authority of Goa, showing the same Goa address (plot number U03, Verna Industrial Estate Phase IV) with its listed business as “UK Telecom, Mortgage, International Communication and date sorting. What is very surprising is that its Delhi address shown here is C-250 Defence Colony (which is listed as the residence of one of its Directors Yogesh Gupta, and not C-582 Defence Colony as per its address filed with the ROC Delhi. FOCUS 3: The GIDC decided to ban transfer of plots after September 30, 2008. In the 24 hours between September 29 and 30, 12 applications for transfer of land were received by IDC which crucially included Mehul Developers who wanted to transfer their land to multi-national Bosch limited. When contacted, Blaise Costa Bir, a member of the task force and a prominent member of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry said “Yes, we are aware of this case. We will be looking into all aspects and point out wherever irregularities have occurred in all industrial estates in Goa. This particular case is on top of our minds and we will discuss this in our very next meeting”. The question now. Why did Mehul Developers want to transfer land and forgo their telecom and IT project, and did precious little from the time of it’s allotment? The IDC needs to come clean and clarify. The -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/ -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/
