Govt. Plans to Freeze SEZs

April 3, 2007	(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)  Loading ...
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The government is pondering over to propose a freeze on development of any new Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and also direct state governments not to hold land on behalf of property developers, as the cases came into limelight before.

The cabinet ministers, headed by external affairs ministers Pranab Mukherjee, will have a meet on 11 April to finalize the proposals.

The decision will not need a nod by the Union Cabinet. The last meeting of the group held in January 2007, when it decided to freeze clearance to the construction of any SEZs, barring issuance of routine approvals to 63 SEZs already notified.

The move is taken in response to the political protests against land acquisition for the set up of SEZs. The government is once again scouting to give a head start to the process.

As far as putting an upper limit on SEZ is concerned, the eGoM will consider the aspect and could suggest an upper limit of 5,000 hecatres for multi product zones, which will spread over an area of 500 hectares (which would be the minimum size).

At present, there is no upper limit assigned for the multi product zones, which allow for manufacturing activities across sectors. However, there is a minimum area stipulation of 1,000 hectares (200 hectares for states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir.)

The government has 60 cases in the pipeline that are lined up for the notification. Another 111 cases have received formal approval and where land acquisition is over; 162 cases which have been given in-priniciple approval and where land is being acquired and another 350 are pending before the board of approval.

News Published Under:   Special Economic Zones |

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