SEZ: Goa CM to discuss with Kamal Nath
Panaji,
Jan
3:
Goa
Chief
Minister
Digamber
Kamat
is
expected
to
meet
Union
Commerce
and
Industry
Minister
Kamal
Nath
here
today
on
the
issue
of
Goa
Government's
decision
to
scrap
all
Special
Economic
Zones
(SEZs)
in
the
State.
Union
Commerce
Secretary
Gopal
Pillai,
on
Wednesday,
said
that
the
State
Governments
have
no
power
to
scrap
notified
SEZs.
The
Goa
Government
had
decided
to
scrap
all
15
SEZs
in
the
State
on
December
31,
2007
following
widespread
political
protests,
including
by
the
Congress
party
workers.
This
was
after
seven
SEZs
had
been
approved
by
the
Centre's
Board
of
Approval,
which
is
headed
by
Pillai.
Of the seven approved SEZs, three had been notified. These three include Cipla's Meditab Specialities, Peninsula Pharma Research Centre and K Raheja Corporation. Kamat is expected to ask Kamal Nath to put on hold the remaining SEZs that have been approved but not notified.
The State Government faced a tough time last week with anti-SEZ protestors intensifying their movement.
There have been protests against SEZs in several states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra and Haryana, but Goa is the first Congress-ruled state to have gone back on the SEZ policy.
ANI