TMC against SEZ but will offer similar benefits to Infosys: Sadhan Pande

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress is against SEZ policy, but the state government has assured IT major Infosys of "similar" tax benefits instead of the special status for its software development centre at Rajarhat, West Bengal Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pande today said.

"Trinamool Congress is against SEZ policy and maintained its stance when the party came to power and expressed reluctance in offering SEZ status to Infosys which had planned to build an IT SEZ at Rajarhat on 50-acre land," he said.

In May, Infosys had asked the West Bengal government to either give SEZ status to the company's proposed centre at Rajarhat or repay the money it has given in advance for the land.

"We have told the state government that it should either give us the SEZ status or pay back the money which was advanced to get the land," a senior Infosys official had said.

State Finance Minister Amit Mitra had assured Infosys that the company would be offered "similar" tax benefits in lieu of SEZ, but even then, "...if they (Infosys) do not come what can be done?" Pande said at the 128th AGM of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

He said that the state government is also promoting SME sector in a big way and is also open to assist in case of any problems.

Meanwhile, BNCCI is planning to build a complex on 1.5 acres of land by 2020 that will house trade facilitation infrastructure.