Chorus grows louder for Goa govt to rein in Sankalp for Birla’s exit

Panaji: The Aditya Birla Group’s decision to handle bauxite from JSW’s deep water port at Jaigarh sends a wrong message about Goa’s business environment, said stakeholders on Saturday. On a day TOI reported how bauxite transportation has moved away from the Mormugao port, businessmen said that such instances not only undermine efforts to attract new investments to the state, but also lead to a loss of jobs.
Industrialists, who chose not to come on record fearing reprisals, said that ease of doing business needs to be more than a slogan.
“The interference from the local MLA has significantly impacted operations, leading to harassment of truckers. This interference has not only increased the cost of doing business but also leads to delays,” said the proprietor of a major logistics firm.
Aside from threats, businessmen involved in port operations said that delays in permissions, harassment by officials, and infrastructure gaps also deter cargo importers from considering Mormugao as a port of call for cargo.
“Govt has been trying to make Goa a logistics hub and has been persuading manufacturing units to export finished products from Mormugao. How can we convince the senior management in Mumbai to do that if the costs and hurdles will increase? Its better to send our consignments via road to Nava Sheva,” said a Verna-based industrialist.
Congress and Goa Forward Party also took note of TOI’s report and urged PM Narendra Modi to rein in BJP MLA Sankalp Amonkar. The two parties said that Amonkar’s interference in cargo operations at Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) is killing the port.
“This is the arm twisting of businesses that is killing the Mormugao Port, which I referred to last night at the public meeting. Will BJP govt react at least now,” said GFP president Vijai Sardesai.
Congress said that given the allegations of corruption against Amonkar, CM Pramod Sawant should create a new portfolio for extortion.
“This man, who stood for elections in 2022 claiming that he will stop coal transportation, has now permitted coal to pass through Mormugao only because he is getting hafta. His men are taking Rs 100 from truck drivers and beating up those who don’t pay,” said state Congress president Amit Patkar.
Patkar claimed that Amonkar is extorting money from food cart vendors, taxi operators at the MPA Cruise terminal, and water sports operators at Baina.
“Sankalp went to BJP to become a minister so it's best if the CM gives him this portfolio. The nation will now watch Narendra Modi share the stage with extortionist Sankalp Amonkar. The PM was sitting with murderers of Constitution Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rodolfo Fernandes, Rajesh Faldessai, and Kedar Naik,” said Patkar.
Congress also said that Goa is waiting for Modi to provide a “notification of withdrawal of approval given to Karnataka for the Kalsa-Bhandura project” which will allow diversion of water from the Mhadei river basin.