‘One SEZ gets the axe, 3 others under lens’

MUMBAI: The BJP in Maharashtra claims that the empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) on SEZs has taken a serious note of the irregularities pointed out by the party in the execution of the SEZ policy in Maharashtra.

���In fact, the Board of Approvals (BoA) on SEZs has cancelled the permission granted to a private company for a multi-product SEZ in the Vasai-Virar region near Mumbai, claimed former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya on Thursday.

The BoA has, however, allowed the developer to file a fresh application through the state government for the same SEZ, said a response by the commerce ministry to the BJP leader���s query under the Right to Information Act.

Mr Somaiya also claimed that the BoA has started re-scrutiny of three other SEZ proposals in Maharashtra, though they have already been formally approved. The proposals under the lens are: an IT SEZ proposed by Kumar Builders Township Ventures in Pune, another IT SEZ proposed by Hiranandani Builders in Powai, and an SEZ in Gorai proposed by Pan India Paryatan.

Last month, the BJP had raised objections to the implementation of the SEZ policy in Maharashtra, the state with the maximum number of approved special economic zones at 72. The BJP had alleged that the state government is not only facilitating land acquisition for Reliance���s Mahamumbai SEZ, but had also overlooked violations of other acts pertaining to use of coastal and forest land by developers.