PANAJI: The Goa Investment Promotion Board has referred 39 projects that had been approved by earlier board headed by former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar to M/s KPMG Advisory Services Pvt Ltd, which has been appointed as a ‘satellite consultant’ to examine projects in detail.
The IPB has also decided to refer all proposals which will come in future for approval to the consultant.
Briefing media persons on Thursday after the second meeting of the newly-constituted IPB, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that 27 projects, which had been approved by the board in its 12 meetings, have already been referred to the satellite consultant. The board has also decided to refer 12 more projects, which had been given approvals at 13th and 14th meetings of the board, to the satellite consultant.
The consultant has been asked to submit a report in 45 days.
“We have reviewed all the projects approved by the board and decided to refer some projects that need more detailed study to a ‘satellite consultant’ appointed by the government,” Parrikar said, clarifying that the review does not mean cancellation of projects and that no project approved by the IPB has been rejected so far.
The Chief Minister informed that works on around 30 projects have been completed, which have generated around 3000 jobs. Moreover, works on 80 projects have been in progress, which will create around 12,000 jobs.
He said the IPB gives in-principle approval to the proposals in term of investment and employment generation potential for locals. As far as other permissions are concerned, project promoters must get them from the concerned authorities.
“The board cannot give approval to proposals merely by listening to promoters. We have to find out whether it will generate employment for locals. Therefore, in future, a satellite consultant will study all proposals in detail,” Parrikar said, maintaining that under Section 7 of the IPB Act approval cannot be given to projects proposed in farmland, khazan, forest and eco-sensitive areas.
Parrikar said the board has not given nod to any red-category projects, declaring that the IPB will not allow anyone to promote commercial projects in the name of eco-tourism.
The IPB under the chairmanship of Parsekar had given approval to 149 projects that had promised to bring in investment worth Rs 11,612 crore with 25,492 jobs.
