Awards for outstanding export performance of SEZs & EOU units

20 Jan '07

3 min read

Referring to the issue of rehabilitation and land acquisition, Shri Kamal Nath underlined that the State governments had a proactive role in implementing the SEZ scheme and said: “In the recent days, concerns have been raised about the diversion of prime agricultural land for SEZ purpose and the inadequate compensation and rehabilitation problems faced by the affected farmers.”

“This issue was discussed in the SEZ Board of Approval meeting and the general consensus emerged that mainly waste and barren land and if necessary single crop agricultural land alone should be acquired for the SEZs. It was also discussed with the State Government representatives that if perforce a portion of double cropped agricultural land has to be acquired to meet the minimum area requirements, the same should not exceed 10% of the total land acquired for the SEZs. The Board of Approval would be strictly following these guidelines while considering fresh applications for SEZs”.

Shri Kamal Nath assured the EOUs that he had been strongly taking up the issue of removal of the sunset clause, which was yet to be resolved, and said that he was personally convinced that this clause needed to be removed in order to provide continuity to the time-tested EOU scheme.

“I assure you that I will take up this issue again”, he said. (Sunset clause refers to the issue of tax benefits for EOUs beyond 2009).

Press Information Bureau

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