The Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) has expressed serious concern over the lacklustre attitude of the state government and other industrial ministries in addressing the burning issue of non availability of land in the state for industrial development under the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC).

It is understood that though Manohar Parrikar, chief minister of Goa, on several occasion had assured to streamline the allotment of land for industrial development through GIDC, hardly any steps have been taken till date to tackle this issue. According to A K Burman, president, GPMA, state government has maintained a stoic silence on this issue that requires urgent attention on the industries long standing demand for land to be released for the purpose of industrial development.

As per the reports, several pharma companies over the years, have been  approaching the association with proposals to either invest newly or expand their existing units within the state with hardly any positive outcome due to lack of available space for the same. According to GPMA, Goa which has a huge potential for growth of the pharma sector is missing out on lot of investment opportunities due to infrastructural disability leading to a stalemate position which is preventing industry from growing ahead.

Burman suggested that it is the prerogative of the government to adopt strategic motion towards de-freezing the land that is being held up in legal tangle over disagreement on the de-notification of SEZ. Secondly, the government should be more proactive towards pushing the growth of the sector by enabling more land to be allotted for industrial development under the GIDC. Finally Burman feels that to ensure that the industry is given a fair chance to grow vertically upward, the government should increase the floor space index (FSI) applicable in the state from the current one per cent to two per cent immediately.

“If the government continues to over look this issue, we fear that it will have a huge repercussion on the reputation of the industry affecting the future growth and development opportunities of the pharma sector in the state. The government needs to take a proactive approach to address the issue of de-notified SEZ land to make land available for industrial development failing to which, investors will be forced to look into neighbouring states like Gujarat and Maharashtra for potential investment opportunities,” Burman warned.