Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Jul 7: Almost eleven years after scrapping of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Goa government on Thursday announced that they have managed to get back land allotted to five promoters, while negotiations are on with two more.

State government had approved SEZ policy, under which seven promoters were given land in South Goa in the year 2008. The promoters, however, could not working as bowing to the public opposition, the SEZs were scrapped by then Congress-led government.

Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) which has been a nodal agency on behalf of the state to provide the land has on Thursday said that five SEZ promoters have given back the land till date.

“We have managed to unlock almost 34 lakh square metres of land given to five different SEZ promoters by paying Rs 200 crore to them,” GIDC Chairman Glenn Ticlo told reporters on Thursday.

The SEZ promoters had moved to the Supreme Court against the government seeking compensation. The Apex Court had asked the State government and promoters to work out amicable solution between them, he said.

IDC has taken back land from Inox Mercantile Company (5,20,832 sq mts), Peninsula Pharma Research Centre (2,00,000 sq mtrs), Planetview Mercantile Company (12,36,000sq mtrs), K Raheja & Corporation( 10,59,000 sq mtrs) and Paradigm Logistics & Distribution (3,86,665 sq mtrs).

Ticlo said that the government is in talks with other two companies, having land of another 14 lakh sq mtrs for unlocking it.

The promoters had approached Apex Court after Bomay High Court at Goa in its judgment in 2010 set aside the land allotments to all SEZ promoters dubbing it as illegal. The Supreme Court later in 2011 directed Centre, State and IDC to maintain status-quo on SEZ land allotment.

Following a public protest, then Congress government in Goa had scrapped all the SEZs and withdraw the state SEZ policy in 2008. Three of the seven SEZs were already notified by the union Commerce Ministry.