Govt plans to digitise records to bring about transparency: Godinho
MAPUSA
Stung by allegations of corruption and favouritism in allotment and transfer of plots in the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Industry Minister Mauvin Godinho on Thursday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that his department was in the process of digitising the records to bring transparency in all the processes related to IDC plots.
Godinho also assured to take action against irregularities, if any, as per the guidelines of the IDC and as mandated by the law.
“Every plot and land available, to whom it is being allotted, what is being transferred, what is being processed by the Industrial Promotion Board…Everything will be available online through a dashboard,” Godinho said.
The Industry Minister was responding to allegations over irregularities in transfer and renaming of IDC plots made by Opposition led by Goa Forward Party Chief Vijai Sardessai during the Question Hour.
Armed with documents obtained through RTI (right to information), Sardessai rattled a couple of cases where according to him was transferred/renamed for much lesser fee allegedly favouring someone and thereby causing revenue loss to the exchequer.
He said the process of transfer/renaming was allegedly manipulated in the case of Conscope, a company, which wanted to transfer 56,250 sq metre of land and the company got away by paying a pittance as fee to the government.
“In the process, the opinion of a qualified company secretary against the transfer of land was ignored to favour the particular company,” Sardessai alleged and urged the Industry Minister to take action against those involved in gross irregularities and causing loss to the government.
The GFP leader also alleged that a former IDC Chairman transferred a plot to his OSD, one Savio Martins, giving him a plot at Pilerne (Industrial Estate).
“Even some government servants have transferred plots in the name of their relatives,” he alleged.
The Industry Minister said the cases pointed by the Goa Forward MLA was of the past while in the new industrial policy a lot of changes have been brought about which leaves very little scope for manipulation. But he assured to take action against those involved in irregularities in allotment/transfer of plots.
“In the new industrial policy I have simplified the processes and brought about total transparency so that companies can come and set shop in the State. We are also planning to digitise all the records probably within the next six months. But we want non-polluting industries to come to the State,” Godinho said.
Mormugao MLA, Sankalp Amonkar and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa also took part in the debate.
