Panaji: The allotment of 18 industrial plots under the handicraft cluster at Verna industrial estate has come under the scanner. Two prominent industry bodies, both with representation on the Goa Industrial Development Corporation’s board, have raised serious questions about the legal validity of the process adopted by the corporation, flagging what they say is a selective suspension of statutory regulations through an internal board resolution.The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) have both written to GIDC, pointing to what they describe as a procedurally vulnerable allotment process that could expose the corporation to litigation and undermine the interests of genuine handicraft manufacturers.GIDC intends to bypass its own regulations and rules by allowing Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (GHRSSIDC) to decide the allocation of the plots to handicraft manufacturers.“The 2023 regulations explicitly mandate a specific screening committee and an objective scoring matrix under Schedule V to ensure transparency and equity. Transferring these statutory evaluation and recommendation functions to an external entity without a formal, gazetted amendment to the regulations appears to lack legal authorisation and opens the entire allotment process to prospective litigation,” said GCCI’s director general, Sanjay Amonkar.The advertisement for the 18 plots explicitly states, “Regulations 5.4 and 5.5 shall not apply to this advertisement.” Furthermore, serial number 4 of the board resolution number 3/2026 states that applications will be evaluated by the GHRSSIDC instead of the statutory screening committee, using criteria other than those prescribed under Schedule V of the regulations.Goa State Industries Association has also echoed similar concerns, noting that GIDC norms could not simply be overridden by a board resolution and he called on the corporation to relook the process by consulting those with legal background.GIDC wants to provide artisans and small handicraft manufacturers with access to organised workspace, utilities and logistics in industrial estates as these facilities are typically unavailable in informal or home-based production settings.
