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The Board of Approval (BoA) for Special Economic Zones is slated to take up on Friday proposals to set up five new SEZs, including a 144-hectare port-based SEZ by Sterling Port Ltd in Dahej, Gujarat, and a 46.38-hectare IT/ITeS SEZ by Smart City (Kochi) Infrastructure in Ernakulam, Kerala.
The other proposals to set up new SEZs include that of B. Raheja Builders for a 14.5-hectare IT/ITeS SEZ in Navi Mumbai; Cybercity Builders and Developers for a 10.12-hectare IT/ITeS SEZ in Greater Hyderabad; and Artha Infratech for a 10-hectare IT/ITeS/electronic hardware and software SEZ in Greater Noida.
Sterling Port has possession of 115.95 hectares (of the total 144 hectares) to set up the SEZ, but its proposal is yet to receive the Gujarat Government's recommendation, the agenda note says. Smart City has possession of the entire 46.38-hectare and has got the Kerala Government's recommendation. Raheja, Cybercity and Artha have possession of the entire specified land. Artha has got the Uttar Pradesh Government's recommendation, but Raheja and Cybercity do not have the respective State Governments' recommendations.
The inter-ministerial BoA, chaired by the Commerce Secretary, Mr Rahul Khullar, is scheduled to take a call on the applications of Reliance Haryana SEZ (for a 5,000-hectare multi-product SEZ in Haryana), IFFCO Kisan SEZ Ltd, Jubilant Infracon Pvt Ltd, Haldia Free Trade Warehousing Pvt Ltd, Ansal IT City and Parks Ltd and Mangalore SEZ Ltd seeking more time to execute their projects.
Besides, there is GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ Ltd's application for changing the sector of the notified SEZ at Mamidipalli village in Hyderabad from ‘aviation' to ‘multi product-airport based'.
De-notifications
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has applied for de-notification of its notified 103-hectare textile SEZ at Solapur.
Mexus Corporation as well as Gujarat Hydrocarbons and Power SEZ have also sought withdrawal of formal approval granted to them to set up SEZs. The agenda note also lists requests by SEZ units to import prohibited items, including one by Biomax Fuels for import of used cooking oil and Southern Online Biotechnologies for import of tallow oil. There is a proposal by Keshwani Exim to set up a unit in an SEZ for trading activity in salt, sugar, pulses, spices, cereals and honey.
Until now, the BoA has given formal approval to 581 SEZs, of which 130 are in operation.
SEZ exports during April-December 2010 were at Rs 2,23,132 crore as against Rs 1,51,785 crore in the corresponding period in 2009. SEZ exports in 2009-10 were at Rs 2,20,712 crore.
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