After winning trust vote, govt takes 31 SEZs proposals

New Delhi, Jul 26 (UNI) Just about a week after winning the trust vote in Parliament, the government has decided to resume setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) activity and proposes to take up 31 projects on July 31.

The inter-ministerial board of approval headed by Commerce Secretary Gopal K Pillai will consider the new projects 19 of which are proposed in the information technology and enabled services(IT/ITeS) sector.

Four of these 19 developers have also stated to set up electronic hardware units in the proposed SEZs, official sources here said.

More than half (17) the proposals listed for consideration before the board are from four southern states of Andhra Pradesh (6), Kerala and Tamil Nadu (4 each) and Karnataka (3), followed by nine from western states of Gujarat (5) and Maharashtra (4).

Four projects for tax-free enclaves have come from as three northern states of Uttar Pradesh (2), Rajasthan and Punjab - one each.

Central province of Madhya Pradesh has one project listed for consideration of the board.

All four Kerala's SEZs projects are in the field of IT/ITeS to be set up by the state-owned Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd. The lone Punjab's project is also in IT/ITeS but by a private developer. All the remaining 26 proposals have been made by private parties.

The largest SEZ in multi-product on 1,010 hectares of land has been proposed by Reliable Smart City Pvt ltd in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan's multi-services project is slated to come up on 205 hectares of land in Bhanpur Kala on Jaipur-Delhi national highway-8.

Besides, there are seven SEZs proposals entailing use of 100 hectares of land each. Two of these are sought to be developed in multi-services by Sigrun Megaprojects and Sigrun Megastructure in Raigad district of Maharashtra.

Deccan Infrastructure and Land Holdings propose to establish a light engineering SEZ at Bhongir in Nalgonda disrict of Andhra Pradesh. Taneja Aerospace and Aviation has acquired 100 hectares of land in Denkanikottai sub-division of Hosur district in Tamil Nadu to set up airport including maintenance and overhaul facility.

Pradeep Overseas propose to set up textile zone in Ahmedabad district, while Bhomiaji Infrastructure want to set up an agro and food processing SEZ in Tamil Nadu.

If approved Andhra Pradesh will see two biotechnology SEZs in the state to be developed by Biological E Ltd and Lahari Infrastructure.

The government has so far given formal approval to 467 SEZs of which 225 have been notified and are directly employing 97,993 people.

Exports from the SEZs have increased to Rs 66,638 crore in the last fiscal registering a growth of 92 per cent from Rs 34,615 crore in 2006-07.

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