Centre notifies 2 port-based SEZs at Cochin Port

Kochi, Nov 4: The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry has notified that two part-based Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will be set up at Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen within the Cochin Port Trust (CPT).

The notifications were issued on November 2, a CPT release said here today.

The Centre had issued similar notifications on December 29, 2005, also. However, it became necessary to re-issue these notifications after Parliament passed the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005.

The CPT said the establishment of SEZ at Vallarpadam was one of the pre-conditions for commencement of construction of the International Container Trans-shipment Terminal there by the BOT operator India Gateway Terminal Pvt Ltd.

The SEZ at Vallarpadam has an area of 115.25 hectares and the one at Puthuvypeen is spread over 285.84 hectares.

While the CPT would be the developer of these two SEZs, it was decided to co-opt India Gateway Terminal Pvt Ltd, BPCL-KRL and Petronet LNG Ltd as co-developers.

While the Vallarpadam SEZ would mainly consist Container Trans-shipment Terminal and related infrastructure, the Puthuvypeen SEZ would have LNG Terminal, Single Buoy Mooring (SBM), Bunkering Terminal, Free Trade Warehousing and certain other processing and re-packaging industries.

UNI