Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji (CN)
From ARES

Panaji, Jun 4: Goa’s Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik on Tuesday, June 3, made it clear that he stood by the state government in its decision to de-notify the three special economic zones (SEZs).

Naik echoed the sentiments expressed earlier by the GPCC in a press conference and said that the three SEZs notified under the Special Economic Zone Act of 2005 had already been de-notified by the people of the state and therefore the bureaucratic order is meaningless and impracticable.

Reacting to the refusal by the commerce ministry to de-notify the three SEZs, Naik said that he had no doubt that the state government will not leave the issue in wilderness and fight the battle in the interest of the people and the state.

Naik added that an authority which has power to issue a notification has inherent power to rescind it, and that no specific provision is required for this purpose.

Quoting section 21 of General Clause Act 1897, Naik said, "Where, by any central act or regulation, a power to issue notifications, orders, rules, or bye-laws is conferred, then that power includes a power, exercisable in the like manner and subject to the like sanction and conditions if any, to add to, amend, vary or rescind any notifications, orders, rules or bye-laws so issued.”
 
On December 31 last year, the state government under immense public and political pressure had decided to scrap 12 SEZs which were at different stages of approval and notification while three were referred to the union board of approval under the commerce ministry for a final decision.
 
The state government is in a piquant situation over the issue of notified SEZs which include a 304-acre spread for Meditab Specialities Private Limited, Peninsula Pharma Research Centre Private Limited, 20.36 hactares (R&D centre biotech park) and K Raheja corporation Pvt Ltd, 107.17 hectares (IT/ITES).
 
Goa's anti-SEZ sentiments gained much publicity during last new year when protestors threatened to disrupt celebrations asking tourists to stay away from the state. This had led to a massive reduction in the tourist inflow to the state which receives 24 lac tourists annually and is choc-a-bloc during new year’s eve.
 
The Goa government faced a jolt when in January this year, union commerce secretary Gopal Pillai said that the state government had no power to scrap notified SEZs.
 
Digambar Kamat had also brought this issue to the notice of union commerce minister Kamal Nath who had assured all possible support for the state.