Dispute over land acquisition leaves 250 SEZs in limbo

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, JANUARY 02, 2007 01:35:34 AM]

NEW DELHI: Disputes over acquisition of agricultural land for setting up
special economic zones (SEZs) are responsible for about 250 SEZ
proposals in 21 states still languishing for government approval. These
proposals were to receive the green light latest by mid-2006, but are
yet to be cleared.

According to the industry chamber Assocham, the 250 SEZs will require
25,000 hectares and investments of over Rs 3,000 crore. The proposals
are awaiting approval in some of the forward-looking states such as
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal.

Besides Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Punjab, the
other states waiting for a nod include Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam,
Chattisgarh, Kerala, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh.

Under the SEZ Act 2005, so far 237 SEZs have been granted approval out
of which 44 have been notified and 15 are operational. Among the states,
Maharashtra has the highest share of approved SEZs (48) followed by
Andhra Pradesh (45) and Karnataka (29).

The findings show that SEZs alone will create job opportunities for over
15 lakh people by 2010 and generate revenue for the government through
various economic activities. Therefore, Assocham has suggested that IT
SEZs should be developed and made operational within six months from the
date of notification. This will attract investments of about $12 billion
for over 130 approved IT SEZs, which will later help in employment
generation.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Infrastructure/Dispute_over_land_acquisition_leaves_250_SEZs_in_limbo/articleshow/1015294.cms