No formal word from Goa yet on SEZs: Nath

The Centre has not yet received any communication from the Goa government, which has decided to scrap all Special Economic Zones, including the three projects notified by the Commerce Ministry.

"We are waiting to hear from the state government. Once we get any letter, we will respond to it and look at it. But just now there is no letter," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in New Delhi.

Due to large scale protests against SEZs in Goa, the state government had announced scrapping all 15 SEZ projects. Taking a stand different from Commerce Secretary G K Pillai, Nath had said the Centre would review the SEZs, including those notified, in the state.

Emphasising that the SEZ policy would not be forced on the state, Nath said, "It is for a state to formulate its own policy. Some states want more, some states want less, some want it differently. But the growth process of the state has to be determined by the state itself".

The Commerce Secretary had said the Centre could not denotify the SEZs already notified contending there was no such provision in the law. Nath said there was "absolute provision" in the SEZ Act to deal with all situations, including an option to denotify the zones, which had become legal entities.

After announcing the decision to cancel the SEZs, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had met Nath and Congress Party leaders in New Delhi last week. He said that the state government would send a formal communication to the Centre soon. The Goa government was forced to abandon SEZs following widespread protests by political parties, including the Congress and the opposition BJP. Three of the SEZs - Cipla's Meditab Specialities, K Raheja Corporation and Peninsula Pharma Research Centre - had been notified.