Goa opens up space in industrial estates for new investments

The Goa government has amended a law to open up more space in its industrial estates to accommodate new investments in the coastal state.

The latest amendment to the existing law would defreeze around 3.7 lakh sqm of land in various industrial estates across the state, Goa Industrial Development Corporation's Chairman Glenn Ticlo told reporters on Tuesday.

The exercise of identifying more land to attract new investments would be completed in next three months, he said.

Ticlo said unavailability of land was one of the major issues affecting the industrial growth in the state.

But now, the state government has amended theGoa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act-2008 and the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations-2010.

"This will provide around 3.7 lakh square metres of land in different industrial estates which were reserved as open spaces. The available land can be allotted to new investments," he said.

The Goa government is also looking at distributing 24 lakh sqm of land, which has been unlocked from Special Economic Zone (SEZ) promoters, to new and existing industries, said the chairman of the state-run body.

The government worked out an amicable settlement with five SEZ promoters who agreed to give back the land which they were holding since 2006, he added.

There are around 2,489 big and small units spread across 23 industrial estates in Goa.

Verna in South Goa district is the largest estate with 539 industrial units, followed by Kundaim in North Goa district having 356 units.