Centre approves 49 SEZs for Haryana worth 1.75cr

Chandigarh, Mar 26: The Central Government has accorded approval to 49 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for Haryana entailing investments of more than Rs 1,75,000 crore, Industries Minister Lashhman Dass Arora said today.

These SEZs would generate employment potential for 20 lakh people, he said here.

Giving an overall picture of the industrial scenario in the state, Mr Arora said an investment of Rs 22,000 crore has been made in Haryana during the last two years while funds worth Rs 53,000 crore were in the pipeline, as a result of the industrial-friendly climate created in the state.

He said the state had also received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs 1,499 crore during the same period as against Rs 8,100 crore received since the inception of the state in 1966.

The minister said apart from this, a petro-chemical hub was being developed jointly by IndianOil Corporation and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation over an area of 4,000 acres with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore for down-stream industries of Panipat refinery.

This would generate employment opportunities for more than 30,000 people.

He said the government has a plan to develop economic hubs along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway and also at strategic locations all over the state.

The process has been initiated to set up four new industrial model townships at Faridabad, Rohtak, Jagadhri and Kharkhoda, he said. There were currently 1,290 large and medium scale units and about 80,000 small scale units in the state, he added.

UNI