No piecemeal changes in SEZ acceptable: CPM

New Delhi, Mar 23: Taking a serious view of the UPA government's notification on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Rules, the CPI(M) today said it is surprising that the changes were being made when the issue is under consideration of the Group of Ministers (GoM) and asked the Centre not to make piecemeal changes.

''The CPI(M) calls up on the government not to make piecemeal changes in the SEZ Rules. The empowered GoM must finalise their report and only then the required changes should be put in place,'' the Left party said.

The Commerce Ministry, which is nodal agency for approving SEZs has recently a made a notification even as the Rural Development Ministry is reportedly working on an omnibus rehabilitation policy.

The notification holds the developers solely responsible for rehabilitating the farmers, whose land will be acquired for such projects.

The CPI(M) said one of the amendments allowed the developer to expand the area of SEZ by acquiring more vacant land in contiguous areas.

''This would mean that the scope of the SEZ can be expanded beyond the initial approval.'' This went against the suggestions given by the Left parties that a ceiling should be fixed on the size of a SEZ, the party said.

Moreover, another amendment sought to continue with tax concessions for the contractors working for the private SEZ developers, the CPI(M) said adding that this also went against the suggestions of the Left parties that tax concessions provided to private developers should be removed.

UNI