Buddha calls for amending SEZ Act

Coimbatore, April 2: Seeking a clear policy on setting up Special Economic Zones, West Bengal chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said his party would prepare a report on this and submit it to the Centre. Seeking land ceiling for Special Economic Zones as well as a review on which industries needed SEZ, he said “all the industries does not need SEZ. The Union government should amend the SEZ act and come out with a clear policy”. Speaking to reporters during the fifth day of of the 19th party Congress, he said China started with only six SEZ, the Indian government had already approved 400 of them, he said. In China, it was being done only to promote advanced technology and export-oriented industries, Mr Bhuddadeb said. The purpose of SEZ should be only for getting advanced technology and improving export oriented industries. They are not needed for real estate business or amusement parks, he said. Further, he wanted a land ceiling for the industries using SEZ and said 50 per cent of land should be used for industrial wearhouses and 25 per cent for industrial infrastructure. Only 25 per cent of land should be used for other purposes, he added. Opposing the entry of foreign corporates into retail trade, Mr Bhattacharjee said “we do not need foreign companies selling vegetables. This will only create unemployment”. The existing Indian companies should also be regulated, he added. On Centre-state relations, he said both the Congress and the BJP had the tendency to centralise powers by grabbing the powers of states. The CPI-M wanted decentralisation to grassroot levels. He said the organisational report had commended the state units of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, where the party was in power. Only the Left-front governmnments were able to achieve land reforms for the benefit of the poor and farmers, he said.
Statesman News Service