NEW DELHI: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) on Special Economic Zones (SEZs) has resolved the issue over minimum land requirement and processing areas for the information technology, biotech and gems and jewellery zones. At a meeting held here on Tuesday, the group decided to retain the original proposal of a minimum of ten hectares for setting up such zones.

The EGoM, headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, has retained the minimum land area requirement of ten hectares and the minimum built-up area of one lakh sq. metres for IT SEZs.

This is the same as already notified in the SEZ Rules by the Commerce Ministry, according to an official release.

In the case of gems and jewellery, the SEZs would require a minimum land area of ten hectares and 50,000 sq. metres of built-up area, while bio-tech and non-conventional energy SEZs would need ten hectares and 40,000 sq. metres, respectively.

The controversy over the size of these special areas arose after the Finance Ministry argued that the area should be at least 25 hectares for such SEZs. The issue was then referred to the EGoM for a final decision.

The release says for all other multi-product, multi-services and sector-specific zones, the land area requirement would remain the same as notified in the SEZ Rules.

Multi-product SEZs must have an area of 1,000 hectares, while multi-services and sector-specific SEZs should have a minimum area of 100 hectares. The EGoM has also stipulated that the processing area in SEZs would be 35 per cent, the release says.

Approval has so far been given for setting up 164 new special economic zones in the private sector.

Of these, eight have become operational.

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