Luizinho in SEZ tangle

Letter favoured 250 acres to Meditab
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, NOV 29
In what could be a major embarrassment to the Congress party at the State and national level, information has revealed that former Industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro, who is the party’s national observer, had favoured granting of 250 acres of land to a Special Economic Zone promoter in the State.
Faleiro, who was also the former chief minister, in a note numbered – Min/Indu&Edu/198, dated March 13, 2006, had directed the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to allot land to the M/s Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd.
The letter by the then minister, a copy of which is in possession of Herald, had directed the GIDC to allot land meant for Education Park, to Meditab.
“I am enclosing herewith a letter dated 10th March 2006, in original received from M/s Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, regarding allotment of 250 acres of land at Keri for setting up of pharmaceutical and chemical SEZ in Goa on their own”, Luizinho said in the note.
Further, he continues, “…in this connection I would like to state that in principle it is decided to set up SEZ at Keri (Bhat Khamb) at Ponda taluka which was earlier acquired by the Goa-IDC for Nylon 66, and which is now in possession of GIDC”.
Luizinho also acknowledges in the note that during the tenure of the earlier Government “it was proposed to allot the said land for setting up educational parks to Goa Education Development Corporation (GEDC) and even in the meeting of the Board of GIDC it was proposed and decided to allot the said land to GEDC on actual cost basis for the purpose of setting up of educational institution with a simple interest of 5 per cent on the actual expenditure incurred on the acquisition and the administrative cost till the date of handing over the possession of land,” the note adds.
Further, advocating SEZs in Goa, Luizinho says “SEZs in Goa will augment infrastructure facilities for export products, which is expected to bring large dividends to the State in terms of economic and industrial development and the generation of new employment opportunities”.
Hence, he says, “we may direct GIDC under Sec 16 read with Sec 28 of Goa Daman & Diu Act 1965 (copy of extract enclosed) to allot the 250 acres of land at Keri to M/s Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd to set up pharmaceutical SEZ on their own on as and where basis”.
He says that the terms should remain the same as decided for educational park on actual cost basis but the interest be increased from 5 per cent to 10 per cent per annum as administrative cost till the date of handing over.
“This will also help the GIDC to acquaint with the procedure to setup SEZ for other parties or unit”, Luizinho said.
Luizinho, however, was not available for comment as his family claimed he was out of station.
It may be noted that the High Court of Bombay at Goa has already stated that land allotments were arbitrary and does not stand the test of reasonableness.
What is embarrassing for the Congress is the development comes close on the heels of the party’s ministers being exposed in Maharashtra for recommending allotment of flats at the Adarsh Society, which is presently in the eye of a storm.
The development cost Ashok Chavan the chief minister’s chair.