Govt's decision on SEZs to clear uncertainties - chambers

New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) Welcoming the government's decision on Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Indian chambers today said approval of 83 SEZs by the empowered Group of Ministers (eGOM) would take the concept forward and clear all uncertainties about the issue.

CII said it hopes that the decision to put an end to compulsory land acquisition by state governments and limiting the size of SEZs will end the ambiguity about the future of SEZs.

FICCI too endorsed the view saying that the decision will give a clear signal that SEZs are here to stay.

''SEZs have an important role in today's competitive environment. The clearance of the proposals to set up SEZs with a limit on multi-product zones at 5,000 hectares and the discretion to the states to lower the size below this limit will give flexibility in establishing such zones,'' it said in a statement.

The state industrial development corporations may now use land already earmarked for industrial purposes for creation of these SEZs, CII said.

The eGoM in its last meeting held in January, had suspended the processing of all fresh proposals and notification of SEZs after there were violent protest in several parts of the country over forcible land acquisition by states.

It had put on hold even proposals in whose cases there was no land acquisition problem and which had been formally approved by the board of approval for SEZ.

However, it cleared 83 cases of SEZs in its meeting here today with no compulsory acquisition of land for the purpose.

UNI