Mukesh Ambani's Maha Mumbai SEZ gets extension

New Delhi, Aug 8 (UNI) Mukesh Ambani's Maha Mumbai special economic zone (SEZ) was today given one year extension by the Centre to complete land acquisition but at the same time asked to halve the size of the duty-free enclave.

Reliance Industries' promoted project had earlier received in-principle approval for construction of 10,000-hectare multi-product zone. The one-year permission was valid till today and promotors had requested the board of approvals (BoA) - the single-window clearing house for SEZs - to extend the validity of the permission to enable it complete land acquisition.

Commerce Secretary G K Pillai today said request for extension was processed by the Ministry. There was no need for it to be placed before the BoA. He, however, said Reliance Industries has to bring down the size of the project to 5,000 - the cap on the size of SEZ clamped by the govenrment in April after widespread protests in the country.

The Maha Mumbai SEZ was not listed for consideration for formal approval in the BoA today in the absence of land in the developers' possession.

Reliance Industries have been facing difficulties in acquiring the necessary land for the project because of opposition by a few farmers and businessmen who had petitioned the Maharashtra government against land acquisition.

The Commerce Ministry has also asked the Reliance Industries to acquire land with the consent of owners. Under amended rules, the government had stopped compulsory acquisition of land for SEZs.

UNI