Goa decides to revoke SEZ land allotment

Goa decides to revoke SEZ land allotment
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The Goa Industrial Development Corporation in a board meeting on Friday resolved to cancel and revoke allotments of land and execution of leases in connection with establishment of special economic zones (SEZ) of seven companies.
The decision was prompted by a government directive to the GIDC a week ahead of the government filing a reply before the high court in a petition filed by the SEZ promoters.
The letter, on behalf of the government, was sent by the director of industries, trade and commerce, who is also a GIDC board member, to the GIDC managing director on June 12, 2008. In the last couple of days TOI has been highlighting the irregularities in the entire issue.
The decision was taken when under Section 16 of the GIDC, the government directed the corporation not to allot any land owned by it to any party by way of lease or otherwise for the purpose of establishing SEZs. It also directed the GIDC to take steps in accordance with the law to cancel or revoke the allotments by way of leases made to the developers for the purpose of setting up or establishing SEZs. The government has asked for immediate compliance of these directions. The state government has also directed the GIDC not to allot or lease GIDC owned lands within the industrial area for the purpose of establishing SEZs.
GIDC chairman Chandrakant Kavlekar said, “We have taken legal opinion in the matter and have the powers to withdraw the land allotted to these companies.” Other board members who attended the meeting include Nitin Kunkolienkar, Atul Kane and Prisco Sequeira. Sources in the government said that the government would soon issue a notification withdrawing the land allotted from the seven SEZs. The seven companies include the three notified SEZs — Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd at Keri, K Raheja Corp Pvt Ltd at Verna and Peninsula Pharma Research Centre Pvt Ltd. The other companies to whom land had been allotted and would now be withdrawn include Paradigm Logistics & Distribution Pvt Ltd, Inox Mercantile Co Pvt Ltd, Planetview Mercantile Co Pvt Ltd and Maxgrow Finlease Pvt Ltd.

June 14,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition