Two big IT special economic zones (SEZs) of around 120 hectares and 61 hectares in Andhra Pradesh by Infosys and a 1,012-hectare multi-product SEZ by Ispat Industries at Raigad in Maharashtra will come up for clearance before the Board of Approval on August 8.
Infosys has already made land acquisition in the Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh and have obtained the state government?s clearance for the project.
Ispat is yet to get land for its SEZ in Raigad. The August 8 meeting will also consider Veritas Infrastructure Development Ltd?s 50-hectare biotech SEZ in Maharashtra. However, the company is yet to make land acquisition for this purpose.
There are three applications for obtaining formal nod for setting up IT/ITeS SEZs. These are from Enfield Infrastructure (16-hectare SEZ at South 24 Parganas in West Bengal),
Genpact India (10-hectare SEZ in Jaipur) and Adarsh Prime Projects (468-hectare SEZ in Karnataka). So far 132 SEZs have been notified, in addition to 340 such projects with formal approval and 171 with in-principal nod.
Recently, a parliamentary standing committee, led by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, had demanded a freeze on fresh approvals until the SEZ policy was revamped. The committee had noted that interests of farmers and other stakeholders were not taken into account by the government while hastily clearing SEZs.
But according to the commerce ministry, over Rs 43,123 crore have been invested in these notified SEZs and that these SEZs are providing direct employment to 35,053 people.