NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that the Manohar Parrikar government as per its decision should proceed ahead and review the functioning of the Investment Promotion Board as also the projects cleared by it in the past, former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday said that however while doing so, the government should not create hurdles before those projects which are already in advance stage of being set up, or else wrong signals would go to the future investors in the state.
“The IPB, with myself as its then chairman, had not granted full-fledged permission to any project, but given only in-principal clearances to a number of projects, with the condition that the concerned departments should review the said projects,” Parsekar added, pointing out that attracting investment to Goa and generating jobs for the locals, through environment-friendly projects was the main objective of the Investment Promotion Board.
“And in-principal clearance meant that some of these projects could be dropped if they did not comply with the terms and conditions of the Board,” he stressed.
The government is proposing to review the working of the IPB and projects approved under it during the last two years.
Interacting with ‘The Navhind Times’, Parsekar said the Bharatiya Janata Party, during the 2012 state assembly elections had assured Goans through its manifesto that it would achieve investment for Goa to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore and generate 50,000 jobs. “However, when I took over as the chief minister in 2014, these assurances were yet to be achieved, and I had roughly two years before me to fulfil the task,” he noted, adding that his government, through the IPB, was in principal able to create 24,000 jobs, as well as attract investment of more than Rs 10,000 crore.
The former chief minister said the IPB under him did not take any decision in haste, but cleared the projects with great responsibility.
“In fact, if there was any doubt or reservation about any proposal coming before the IPB, then it was kept aside and taken up during the next meeting, with the promoter of the project being asked to present the necessary clarification,” he informed, observing that all the concerned departments, without any pressure or compulsion, were directed to review the proposals receiving in-principal clearances from the IPB, and then take necessary decision.
“It should also be noted that my government faced many serious and complicated issues at that time such as the crash of the mining industry in Goa by way of ban imposed on it, and therefore, it was necessary for my government to use the IPB vehicle to attract investment and generate jobs,” Parsekar maintained, stating that he doesn’t understand, why it is made to look as if the IPB has taken wrong decisions.
“I don’t know who is spreading this news in such a way,” he exclaimed, remarking that there should be no objection in either reviewing or amending the Investment Promotion Board, but message should not go that the board had done wrong things.