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SEZ: Goa govt unhappy over BoA stand

June 04, 2009 17:58 IST

Goa government will communicate their displeasure to the Centre over the Board of Approval's decision to give additional time for a special economic zone promoter in Goa.

"This is against our recommendations. We will point out to the Union Commerce ministry that state government is against the SEZs," state industries secretary V K Jha told PTI on Thursday.

The Board of approval had given more time for Raheja's to develop their project in the state. The project is one amongst the three SEZs recommended to be denotified by the state government.

The state government has scrapped 12 SEzs while three are pending denotification by the Union commerce ministry.   "We intend to take up the matter with the central government," Jha said.

Goa's Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik said he would meet new Union Commerce ministry Anand Sharma and brief him on the issue.

Former Union commerce minister Kamal Nath had assured the state that 'Centre will not thrust SEZs on Goa.'

"I will meet the new minister and finish the confusion for once and all. Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat is also likely to visit Delhi to discuss the issue with the commerce minister," he said.

The SEZ issue had attained crucial dimension in the state two years back when public ire forced then Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane to scrap these projects.

Various non governmental organisations, including Church, had opposed these projects which were termed as land grabbing scams.

The Opposition, Bharatiya Janata party, had alleged huge scam of land allotment to these SEZs by Goa government run Goa Industrial Development Corporation.

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