The government on Monday granted in-principle approval to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Haryana SEZ Ltd, clearing the first hurdle for a tax-free multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) at Jhajjar near Gurgaon in Haryana, not far from Delhi. Formal approvals will be granted after detailed plans are submitted.
The Commerce Ministry’s Board of Approvals granted formal approvals to 11 SEZs, which included one for an information technology SEZ by Jubilant Infocon Private Limited at Noida.
The government also referred the politically sensitive matter of special economic zones (SEZs) in Goa, which is facing opposition from environmental activists and support from local politicians, to the Law Ministry. The Goa government had earlier recommended scrapping of the notified special economic zone.
Reliance’s SEZ was trimmed to 5,000 hectares, after a Group of Ministers changed the rules in April last year.
The government has so far given formal approval to 428 SEZs, out of which 194 have been notified as final. Notification is given after required land is acquire. An investment of Rs 52,193 crore has been made in the notified SEZs and 94,832 people have been employed in the zones, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The Goa government had announced scrapping of all the SEZs in the state. The decision reportedly came after a specially constituted Task Force recommended that SEZs would be “detrimental to the overall interest of Goa”.
{{/usCountry}}The Goa government had announced scrapping of all the SEZs in the state. The decision reportedly came after a specially constituted Task Force recommended that SEZs would be “detrimental to the overall interest of Goa”.
{{/usCountry}}Anti-SEZ protests have been brewing in the state for the past few months cutting across all political parties. So far 10 SEZs have been granted in-principle approval for the state, of which three were notified.