With the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre deciding to amend the SEZ policy and shooting down all proposals that were to be built on land, that was a double crop and had more than 10% agricultural land, brakes have been applied on the Mayawati government’s ambitious plans of developing SEZ in the state.
But, the Uttar Pradesh government has found out a way to make up for the loss of opportunity. The state government’s ambitious Ganga Expressway project would go along way to function as the “Industrial Development Corridor”, thereby bringing the state at par with other states as far as industrial growth is concerned. This was stated by the infrastructure and industrial development commissioner (IDC) Atul Kumar Gupta at the inaugural of the Industrial and Food Expo here on Thursday.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, UP boasts of fertile agricultural land and has a two to three crop land,” said Gupta.
“Most of our big SEZ proposals were to be set up on land that had more than 10% agricultural land, and thereby got entangled in the Center’s revised SEZ policy. Except the IT SEZ proposals, none of them could move forward,” he added.
However, he stated that the setback to SEZs would be addressed to a large extent by the Ganga Expressway project. “It will not only be a highway, but would provide us with ample space and opportunity for developing SEZs along its 1,047 km stretch,” Gupta stated.
He also elaborated upon the state government’s scheme to facilitate the industries for setting their base in UP. “Instead of offering tax subsidy we are giving them infrastructural support.