The Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has asked industrial units in the Verna Industrial Estate to pay up Rs 3 crore arrears for raw water supply within 10 days, failing which they will cut off the water supply to the industries.
The government has warned the entrepreneurs that if the amount is not paid, the matter will be referred to the revenue court for recovery proceedings.
Meanwhile, The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) has written to Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant reminding him of the BJP government’s promise in 2018 to charge industrial units for raw water at Rs 10 per m3, instead of Rs 25 per m3. However, for the past 3 years, GIDC has continued to bill industrial estates at Rs 25, while industries are paying the bill at Rs 10 per m3.
The former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Sawant in 2018 and 2019 respectively, had assured Verna Industrial Estate that the price of raw water would be reduced, a promise that industries minister Vishwajit Rane and GIDC Chairman Glen Ticlo were a part of, but failed to implement.
Verna Industries Association has received a notice dated August 28, 2020, from the field officer of Goa State Industries Corporation to pay the outstanding raw water arrears amounting to Rs 3, 04, 87,320 (about Rs 3.48 crore) within ten days.
Field Manager J V Gawandalkar stated, “You are hereby directed to pay the arrears of raw water bill within 10 days from receipt of this notice in order to avoid any action against you, which may include even disconnection of raw water supply to your unit.”
GSIA President, Damodar Kochkar, in his letter to Sawant, requested the government to settle the issue. The letter dated August 20, 2020 states, “You will kindly recall that, at the Annual Function of GSIA on 28th June 2019, where you were the Chief Guest, you had promised our members that the assurance for reduction of raw water rate to Rs 10 per cubic metre given to Verna industries by ex-Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar would be honoured in three months’ time. Since then, we have been following up this issue with you and in our meeting with you in February 2020, you informed us that WRD has worked out the cost of pumping raw water from S. I. P. D2-D3 Canal at Davorlim village to Verna Industrial Estate at Rs 9.60 per cm3 and, therefore, the industries should agree to pay Rs 15 per cm3, that is Rs 10 to WRD and Rs 5 to Goa-IDC. The proposed raw water charges at Rs. 15 per cm3 were agreed by us.”
The letter further said that “let us know if this proposal of fixing raw water charges at Rs 15 per cm3 can accede or not, failing which, the industries can decide on alternate arrangements for raw water to cut cost. We feel the Government should agree to charge Rs 15 per cm3 in order to avoid supply of raw water through tankers from nearby wells which causes severe depletion of groundwater table and environmental damage to the villages surrounding Verna Industrial Estate.”
President of the Verna Industries Association stated that the Government has been delaying with adhering to the commitment on fixing the Raw Water pricing for a number of years. “Our Late Hon CM Manohar Parrikar during the inauguration of the Raw Water Storage at VIE, on Dusshera of 2017, had promised and assured that the Raw Water Pricing would for Industries operating in VIE be Rs 10 per Cubic Litre. Furthermore, the late CM Manohar Parrikar, in his budget speech of FY-2018/19 under Scheme for Raw Water that the Rate of Raw Water for Industries in Verna would be Rs 10 per m3. And he further stated that under Investment Promotion Board a flat rate of Rs 5 per m3 payable to WRD and a further Rs 5 per m3 payable to GIDC if Raw Water was supplied to Industry through GIDC.”
He mentioned that all the industries at Verna have taken a joint stand that they will pay only Rs 10 per m3 irrespective of what they bill each industry, till the government endorses this decision.
