Keeping its promise, the Goa Government has scrapped all the 12 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) planned in the state, as a New Year gift. While eight of these were pending for approval, the four that had been cleared will not be notified now, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said.

Kamat had promised to scrap the SEZs following public protests against the economic zones, including threat by an outfit to disrupt New Year festivities in the state which draw tourists from across the world.

The Chief Minister has assured that even the three SEZs which had got all the approvals and clearances and are in various stages of construction may be stopped. “We will take up the matter with Centre to denotify them,” Kamat told reporters.

The original plan was to build 15 SEZs in Goa with a total investment of Rs 4,714.04 crore over the next five years. “Here the issue was people’s objections and the quantum of land required for these projects. In future, we will consider these aspects while processing any proposals,” Kamat said.

All the opposition parties object to SEZs in the state, including the NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena, apart from sections of the ruling Congress itself. The movement was led by two organisations — the SEZ Virodhi Manch and Goa’s Movement Against SEZs (GMAS).

The Chief Minister said he decided to scrap the SEZs after a special task force headed by him to study their implications determined that “SEZs were detrimental to Goa”.

... contd.