States directed to create single-window clearances for SEZs
By Our Real Estate Bureau
February 12, 2010
The commerce and
industry ministry requested the state governments to set up a
single-window clearance system for speedy approvals of special
economic zones (SEZ). Meanwhile, the government has granted formal
approval to nine new proposals.
Rahul Khullar, Commerce Secretary directed the states to build the
mechanism with immediate effect to facilitate greater exports and
investments in to the country, at a meeting of the Board of
Approval (BoA).
The move is aimed at facilitating speedy approvals of SEZs as the
proposals tend to get delayed as developers and units have to
obtain prior approvals from state governments for various
operational, fiscal and financial issues.
Mittal also said while the government would not resort to
penalising the states that would fail to follow the directive, the
pace of setting up SEZs in that state would face a slowdown even if
it received a formal approval from the Centre.
At the BoA meeting today, the government granted formal approval to
nine new proposals, including a defence SEZ in Nellore, Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, Small World City Infrastructure and
State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd, among
others. Till date, a total of 579 SEZs have been approved, of which
335 have been notified and 101 are functional.