New SEZ with certain conditions: Viswam

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 19 (UNI) The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala today gave its approval to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the state, its convenor Vaikom Viswam said today.

However, the approval of the new SEZ applications would be considered, subject to 12 conditions, he told reporters after the LDF meeting.

Mr Viswam said the new legislation in this regard would not be introduced soon. Instead, a new policy would be formulated soon.

This would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting.

The conditions include, no agricultural land would be used for any SEZ, the environment would not be destroyed and 70 per cent of the land would be utilised for the industrial purpose, he added.

The emergency LDF meeting was convened in the wake of the Centre's decision that the pending applications for considering SEZ should be submitted well ahead of September 30. Only ten more days remained for the dead line fixed by the Centre.

The CPI, the second coalition partner in the LDF had insisted that the new SEZ should be allowed only after introducing new legislation and its state secretary Veliyam Bharghavan stayed away from the meeting.

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