Aiming to provide relief to Goan pharma manufacturers struggling to get land for industrial development, the chief minister of Goa Laxmikanth Parsekar assured the industry with allotment of land through Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC). To further the cause, he has directed the companies to send their requirements as per each company proposed expansion plans for review.

He assured that his government would do their best to address these issues at the earliest, after analysing and deliberating the requirements of the companies and the contribution it would make in generating job opportunities within the state. Industry insiders informed that the government was open for adopting strategic motion towards de-freezing the land that is being held up in legal tangle over disagreement on the de-notification of special economic zone (SEZ).

This proactive move from the CM comes following a high-level meeting with the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association (GPMA), who had apprised this issue faced by the industry, hampering the industry's growth prospects within the state. Infrastructural disability in the form of lack of sufficient land for the pharma companies to expand their manufacturing plants is leading the sector to a crisis situation, pointed out an industry source.

GPMA has been raising the issue of non-availability of land for development under the GIDC on the de-notified special economic zone. After facing stiff resistance from the local people over the SEZ notification and its subsequent de-notification, industry has been demanding the land to be released for the purpose of industrial development.

According to Suresh Kamath, president of GPMA, a lot of proposals to either invest newly or expand their existing units within the state are held up due to lack of space for the same.

“We are hopeful that the government will finally take a call on sorting this issue, as the delay in addressing this is leading to huge loss for the pharma industry in the state. The government has shown positive inclination towards enabling more land to be allotted for industrial development under the GIDC. We are hopeful that things will turn out to be better for the growth of the industry. To expedite the matter, we hope that the companies will send in their proposals to the government so that the process can finally be iniatited from our end,” he adds.