Indications to this effort was made by Finance Secretary, government of Goa, Rakesh Mehta at a seminar on industrial policy here on Wednesday. According to Mehta the state government is considering commissioning a study to evaluate the free port proposal and an industrial model town in Goa. This follows reports from World Bank study groups which indicated that 50 per cent of Goa's population would be living in urban areas by 2010.

The finance secretary noted that the government would develop the entire coastal belt for tourism. While forest and horticultural activities would be encouraged in the state's green belt, the interiors of Goa could be used for industrial development. Planning the industrial policy for thestate is also considering setting up software technology parks and industrial estates. These include a food technology park at Kerim and a software technology park at Panaji.