IT park at Socorro in North Goa underway

Panaji, July 26 (UNI) Goa IT Minister Dayanand Narvekar today said the acquisition of over 5.96 lakh sq metres land for setting up of the proposed information technology park or IT-related industries at Socorro village of Bardez taluk in North Goa is underway.

In reply to a starred question of Sadanand Shet (BJP) tabled in the State Legislative Assembly, the Minister said the authorities had already obtained no-objection certificate from the Town and Country Planning Ministry for the purpose.

The PWD and Water Supply department was directed to prepare estimates so that it could supply 1,500 cubic metres of water required for the project.

At the sametime, the electricity department was requested to prepare estimates for meeting necessary power requirements.

Meanwhile, the minister told Dr Suresh Amonkar (BJP) in reply to another question that the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat evoked ''good response'' with 30 industrialists applying for allotment of plots since March last.

This was following revision of last date of receipt of applications for the project, the foundation stone for which was laid by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at the Dona Paula Plateau.

The Minister told BJP Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar that the incentives for the IT firms that set up shop in Goa included reimbursement of stamp duty and certification charges, and rebate in power tariff.

Others included incentives for promoting research activities and offering employment to locals and to training institutions for training, placement of trainees and other jobs.

No upgradation or modification to the incentives notified along with IT policy-2005 published in the official gazette on November 17 last year had been made, the Minister added.

UNI