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In an effort to revitalise dormant industrial assets and streamline construction approvals, the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) announced that, from earlier this week, it will extend a 50 % waiver on building licence fees for a year for applications routed via its Online Building Plan Approval System (OBPAS). The move targets plot?holders and shed-allottees within GIDC-managed estates, urging them to either submit fresh plans or re-submit for reconstruction or expansion. Compliance with building codes, statutory norms and environmental requirements remains mandatory as the corporation seeks to convert idle industrial land into productive facilities.
The GIDC has rolled out a new scheme designed to encourage industrial units, architects and construction consultants to adopt its digital approval platform. The fee waiver-effective for one year-applies to all building-plan submissions made through its OBPAS. Initially the board proposed a full (100 %) waiver, but later moderated the incentive to a 50 % concession. Advertisement
The rationale, according to a GIDC internal document, is that while the waiver represents a short-term cut in licence-fee revenue, it is anticipated to yield long-term gains in the form of higher occupancy, enhanced utilisation of industrial plots, and increased ancillary charges and rentals. Plot-holders are encouraged to meet a minimum built-up area threshold of 30 % within prescribed timelines to trigger operative benefits.
The scheme covers all allottees of plots and sheds in GIDC-managed estates who intend to file or re-file building plans for construction, reconstruction or expansion. The requirement for adherence to building codes, statutory and environmental regulations is specified as a condition of eligibility. This initiative was approved at the corporation's 399th board meeting and forms part of its wider drive towards digital governance and industrial transformation.
The backdrop to the waiver is GIDC's prior move to encourage exits from industrial units or plots that have become non-operative or under-utilised: last year the Corporation introduced an exit-support scheme for some 400 units and plots. With this new incentive, the GIDC aims to turn around non-productive industrial land and accelerate project commencements across its estates.
By offering a 50 % reduction in building-licence fees for digital applications, the GIDC has laid down a strategic incentive to revive its fold of industrial estates and expedite construction activity. Though the fee waiver may compress near-term revenues, the prospect of higher leasing, rentals and job creation presents a compelling trade-off. As plot-holders move to leverage the waiver, the success of the initiative will hinge on timely uptake, strict adherence to regulations and tangible conversion of idle spaces into functional industrial units.
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