Panaji: Govt’s search for land for an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) camp appears to have ended with Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) agreeing to a proposal to hand over a vacant building at the Marcaim industrial estate. GIDC had initially rejected the request from the superintendent of police (HQ) but reconsidered its decision after chief minister Pramod Sawant intervened. Sawant, who also holds the home department portfolio, urged GIDC to decide in favour of the IRBn, citing its operational importance. “The building has been inspected and found suitable by IRBn officials. The building is currently underutilised, with some portions occasionally used by CRPF or CISF personnel during elections,” said a GIDC official. GIDC has yet to finalise the terms of allotment, which are being worked out. Once the allotment terms are decided, a formal agreement or MoU will be executed between GIDC and Goa Police, specifying terms of use, maintenance responsibilities, and duration of the allotment. The agreement will require legal vetting before approval. Goa police has plans to set up an IRBn camp on 1 lakh sqm of land at Curtorim but the project has yet to take off due to objections from locals and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco. Lourenco is the chairman of GIDC.
