New Rs 100,000 crore SEZs to create five lakh new jobs

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) Over 148 Special Economic Zones cleared by the Government would involve a mega investment of Rs 100,000 crore and create fresh jobs for 500,000 people.

The SEZs cleared by the inter-ministerial Board of Approvals involves some of the big names in corporate India including Reliance, Biocon, Satyam Computers and DLF Universal.

As many as 75 of the 148 SEZs had already received approval in principle. The Board of Approvals, which met for the first time after the SEZ rules were notified in February, also decided for a single-window clearance for these SEZs for which notifications will be issued next week.

As many 18 proposals in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were put on hold because of the forthcoming Assemby elections.

Reliance Infrastructure will be setting up a petrochemical SEZ at Jamnagar with an investment of over Rs 20,000 crore while Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation's multi-product SEZ would involve an investment of over Rs 4,000 crore..

Another proposal in Gujarat was that of the Adani group, the Mundra SEZ of Gujarat Adani Port Ltd, at an estimated investment of over Rs 12,000 crore .

Biocon's proposal for a bio-technology SEZ in Bangalore will involve a capital outlay of Rs Rs 200 crore.

Satyam Computers Services Ltd would set up SEZs in Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam, Bahadurpalli in Hyderabad and one in Hyderabad city.

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