State Public Sector Enterprises (SPSE)

The State Public Sector Enterprises (SPSE), are the companies which are owned by the State Governments. The State Public Sector Enterprises operates in various sectors including roads and transportation, manufacturing, procurement, postal service, hotels and tourism, energy, banking and agriculture etc. These Public Sector Units are making huge losses and they hold vast tracts of land which is lying vacant across the country. These unused parcels of land could be used for many productive purposes such as educational institutions, affordable housing, industrialization, infrastructure projects and health facilities etc.

Maharashtra

The Government of Maharashtra owns various Public-Sector Enterprises such as Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited etc. The total number of Public Sector Units owned by the Government of Maharashtra is accounted to be 83 out of which 61 are functional and 22 are non -functional. There were 22 non-functional PSU with a total investment of Rs 938 crore owned by the government. Some of these PSU are non-functional from the past 37 years. The public-sector units are holding vast tracts of unused land and other properties such as buildings, hotels, Warehouses etc, which are lying unused across the state.

Maharashtra State Warehousing Corporation Limited is a state-owned enterprise which was established in the year 1960 under the Agricultural Produce (Development and Warehousing) Corporation Act, 1956 which was replaced by Warehousing Corporation Act 1962. The main functions of the corporation are to construct warehouses for the storage of agricultural produce and to operate container freight station for exporters and importers. The total land obtained by the corporation prior to 2010-11 was 793 acres out of which 73 acres were vacant. From the year 2010-2015, the corporation purchased 135 acres of land in 15 locations valuing Rs 13.36 crore despite having such huge tracts of vacant land. The corporation utilized only 62 acres of land, and the corporation has 146 acres of land lying vacant across the state.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Limited is a state-owned enterprise under the Companies Act 1956 in the year 1975 with an aim to promote to develop tourism in Maharashtra. The company owns 20 resorts, 3 restaurants, a scuba diving centre and a shopping centre. On the other hand, the company has also leased out its 76 resorts and 15 properties. The Government of India and Maharashtra provides financial grants to the corporation for its functions. The Comptroller Auditor General pointed out that the corporation handed over the ownership of the properties on lease on which they had no title. The company was facing difficulties to enter into a lease agreement and faces losses. There was no fixed base price for the properties which the company leased out, because of which the company was not able to receive sufficient lease rent and there was a delay in leasing out the properties and the company suffered a revenue loss of Rs.13 crore. The corporation acquired 3657 acres of total land and between 2011-2016 the company acquired another 172 acres of land from state government, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and private parties. Therefore 1680 acres of land is kept vacant across 33 locations. The company spent around Rs 12 crore on multiple projects such as constructing restaurants, conference hall in a resort, upgradation of Ridhapur resort etc. However, because of lack of demand, all these projects failed to generate any revenue for the company and are lying idle and vacant.