The Hindu : Front Page : Goa scraps all SEZ projects

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Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
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Goa scraps all SEZ projects

Special Correspondent

Allies united against projects: Kamat

PANAJI: The Goa government on Monday decided to scrap all the special economic zone (SEZ) projects in the State in its bid to bring to an end the long-drawn public agitation which at one stage had threatened to jeopardise the annual New Year celebrations.

Announcing his decision at a specially convened press conference at his official residence on the eve of the New Year celebrations on Monday after holding a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said, “the government took the decision to do way with the SEZs in existing form after a long-drawn consultations process, which involved discussions, deliberations and consultations with different stakeholders that lasted many days,” Simultaneously, the government would debate the SEZ policy endorsed by State Cabinet in June 5, 2006 for future guidance.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Goa Pradesh Congress president Francisco Sardinha, south Goa MP and Home Minister Ravi Naik.

Mr. Kamat said that apart from the recommendation of the Task Force on State Regional Plan to scrap the SEZs, the government also got the same opinion from the Congress, allies including the Nationalist Congress Party and Save Goa Front among others and came to the conclusion that Goa should not have SEZ projects at least in the present form.

The government has decided to withdraw its recommendation to the Centre pertaining to all the 15 SEZ projects of which three had already been notified while four were approved but awaited notification.

“We have decided to write to the Union Ministry of Commerce (MoC) not to process the eight SEZ proposals which were presently kept on hold. So also, we will write to them not to notify four of those which have been approved but not notified,” Mr. Kamat said and added, “as regards the three notified SEZs, since we do not have power to de-notify them, we are taking up the issue with the MoC.”

In a guarded reaction, leader of the Movement Against SEZs Matanhy Saldanha welcomed the government’s decision.

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