Centre approves 34 more SEZs

The total crosses 200
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Formal clearance to Renuka Sugar's complex in Karnataka
Parsvnath Developer's IT SEZ in Kerala gets the go ahead
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NEW DELHI: The Central Government on Tuesday approved 34 proposals for
setting up special economic zones (SEZs), including two by Dr. Reddy's
Laboratories in Andhra Pradesh.

The Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZs gave formal clearances to 26
proposals and in-principle nod to eight others out of the 82 proposals
considered. With Tuesday's decision, the total number of SEZs with
formal approvals has risen to 212 and with in-principle approvals to
152, an official release said. The first proposal from a northeastern
State, however, failed to get the nod, with the BoA deferring the Shyam
Burlap Company's application for a 1,012 hectare multi-product zone in
Kamrup district of Assam.

Among the proposals given formal clearance include the Karnataka
Industrial Areas Development Board's one SEZ for food processing and one
pharmaceutical SEZ, Shree Renuka Sugars's sugarcane processing complex
in Karnataka and Parsvnath Developers's IT SEZ in Kerala.

Formal nod was also given to TCG Urban Infrastructure Holdings's biotech
SEZ in Kerala, APIIC's two biotech and pharma SEZs in Andhra Pradesh,
Mayatas Properties Private Ltd's three SEZs in Andhra Pradesh and Emaar
Hills Township's IT SEZ in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories' two applications for pharma SEZs in Andhra
Pradesh were given in-principle approval. Other proposals that were
given in-principle nod include Hinduja Investments Private Ltd's textile
SEZ in Bangalore and Writers and Publishers' 2,000 hectare multi-product
SEZ in Chhattisgarh.

Fair deal for farmers

The Centre feels that Special Economic Zones have become controversial
as they are because of lack of transparency in fixing prices for
acquiring land by state governments.

"Most controversies (over SEZs) could be settled once state governments
pursue transparent policies,'' Urban Development Minister, S. Jaipal
Reddy, said at a seminar on real estate here on Monday. — PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/11/stories/2006101109671700.htm