Panaji, Jun 21 (IANS): With a view to encourage industries, the Goa Investment Promotion & Facilitation Board (GIPB) on Monday approved five proposals with a total investment of Rs 64.4 crore and provision of 311 jobs, officials said.

Chairing the GIPB's 30th meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant instructed officials to encourage investments in the industrial area.

The projects approved are from manufacturing, agro-food processing, hospitality and construction sectors.

According to officials, the Board proposed to create a database of private land parcels that may be available for industrial use by inviting interests from owners of such land, and it will act as a liaison between interested land-owners and prospective investors and provide necessary facilitation.

The Board has also proposed to undertake investment promotion activities and proactively approach big investors once the industrial policy is notified and necessary infrastructure development work is underway. This will help to create new employment opportunities in the state.

State Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho had recently launched 'Goa Industrial Growth and Investment Promotion policy draft with the mantra of 'Faster clearances for faster growth of industry' to boost the state's industrial sector.

He had said that Common Application Form is the highlight of the policy which will be forwarded to all other departments concerned. "Similarly for land conversion, we are going to empower the Board itself for change of land use. This way it will cut down time taken for various processes."