The Hindu Business Line : Bengal set to announce new norm for special economic zones

New framework
Aims to ensure creation of adequate quality urban infrastructure to attract investments across the State.
To keep a check on the developers, the Government is following private-public partnership model through its nodal agency West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.

Kolkata, Nov. 16

In a deviation from the Centre's SEZ (special economic zone) policy which earmarks 25 per cent land use for industrial and the rest for infrastructure and commercial development, the West Bengal Government has earmarked at least 50 per cent land for industrial usage, 25 per cent for infrastructure and 25 per cent for commercial or real-estate development.

"We are set to announce a new guideline for commercial development in SEZs," a State Government source said on Wednesday.

"The new guideline will offer wide choices to the developer underlining the scale of development needed in each category. For example if the developer prefers to set up a hotel instead of a resort or say a community swimming pool, the guideline will determine the size or category of the proposed hotel," he said.

The new framework aims to ensure creation of adequate quality urban infrastructure as part of its long-term plan to attract investments across the State.

In order to keep a check on the developers, the State Government is following private-public partnership model through its nodal agency West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.

The source said: "Instead of acquiring the entire 10,000 acre plus land and handing it over to the developer, we will earmark the land first and acquire it in phases in proportion with the industrial investment proposals received."

According to him, the SEZ policy and the proposed policy on petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals industrial region (PCPIR) will be used for the growth of Haldia.

While the chemical hub, multi-product SEZ and the proposed pharmaceutical SEZ spread over around 25,000 acre within the proposed 250 sq km PCPIR would be a home of industrial development, the State Government has entered into firm agreements with Salim group of Indonesia to create road and bridge infrastructure to enhance the connectivity of Haldia. Also planned is a major satellite city project.

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