Panaji, Oct 15 (IANS): A month after the Chief Executive Officer of the state government's Investment Promotion Board quit citing complaints related to red-tapism, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that the Board would facilitate construction licences to big ticket projects within 15 days of receipt of application.
Sawant, who is the chairman of the Board, said that all permissions required for setting up of major projects in the state would be facilitated by the IPB and that investors would no longer have to apply to different departments individually for seeking clearances and licences.
"Henceforth, it will be fast-tracked. There will be ease of doing business and a single window system (in place). After this, any project under IPB will be issued construction licence within 15 days to start their project," Sawant told reporters, after chairing a meeting of the Board on Tuesday.
The Board was set up some years back for smooth facilitation of big ticket investment projects in the coastal state.
In September, Vishal Prakash, CEO of the Board had resigned claiming he was "bogged down" by red-tapism vis-a-vis the functioning of the Board.
Sawant, however, said, that at the meeting of the Board which was held under his chairmanship on Tuesday, the body had resolved to ensure implementation of a swift, single window delivery system, as per which all permissions would be obtained by the Board itself by getting individual government departments and other concerned semi-autonomous bodies on board.
"Officials from concerned departments will report to the IPB office for review of projects and whatever documents required will be submitted to the IPB ... No department will create a hurdle. We want to reassure the investors that once a project comes to the IPC, they will get the licence to construct their project within 15 days," Sawant said, adding that the measure would send a message to investors that the Goa government means business, when it comes to attracting and facilitating investments.
Last month Goa's top mining magnate Auduth Timblo of the Fomento Resources group had said that "ease of doing business" sentiment in Goa was at its lowest ebb.