INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - 16^th FEBRUARY - TO - 28^th FEBRUARY - 2009

NOD FOR 10 SEZS, 3 TO MERGE

The government has cleared a proposal to set up 10 new special economic zones (SEZs), which include those of infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro. The board of approval (BoA) chaired by commerce secretary GK Pillai also gave the nod for 11 investors to join as co-developers in SEZs across the country. Three SEZs in Mundra have been allowed to merge after a clearance from the empowered group of ministers (EGoM). The combined area of the three SEZs, to be developed on an investment of Rs1 trillion, would exceed the 5,000-hectare ceiling and thus required a clearance from the EGoM. Pillai said the combined Mundra SEZ will induct six investors as co-developers with one SEZ among the three setting up a 300-mw power plant. The SEZ Act 2005 provides for a single-window SEZ approval mechanism through a 19-member interministerial SEZ BoA. The commerce secretary is the BoA chairman.