By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jun 15: Goa government today decided to withdraw its special economic zone (SEZ) policy reasserting its strong resistance for setting up for these industrial enclaves in the state.
 
“We have decided to withdraw SEZ policy 2006,” Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat told reporters emerging from the state cabinet meeting this evening.
 
The chief minister said that the state has always reiterated their anti-SEZ stand as they were opposed by the public at large.
 
He said that the state has not given any thought for compensating the SEZ developers although the money paid by them in purchasing land would be reimbursed to them.
 
The state government had notified SEZ rules 2006 on February 10, 2006 allowing the setting up of Special Economic Zones in the public, private, joint sector or by the State Governments.
 
The policy had said that these SEZs were to be deemed foreign territory for tariff and trade operations. “The concept of SEZ is expected to bring large dividends to the State in terms of economic and industrial development and the generation of new employment opportunities. The SEZs are expected to be engines for economic growth,” it had added.
 
Responding to the government’s openness for such industrial enclaves, 15 different promoters had acquired land to set up their shop here. Of them, three were notified while rest were at different stages of notification.
 
Then Pratapsingh Rane led government bowing to the severe public pressure in December 2007 declared scrapping of SEZs in the state.
 
Goa government, however, is still nagged with the issue of three SEZs developers - Meditab Specialities, Peninsula Pharma Research Centre and K Raheja – which were notified.
 
Union commerce ministry’s board of approval is yet to denotify these SEZs despite several communications from the state government opposing these industrial enclaves.