SEZ Panel to go into Navi Mumbai SEZ proposal

An official panel has been constituted to examine the request of Mukesh Ambani-promoted Navi Mumbai SEZ, seeking relaxation in the contiguity rules as also splitting the special economic zones into five entities.

The request was considered last month by the inter- ministerial Board of Approval (BoA), which directed constitution of a committee to be a chaired by a joint secretary level official.

“The committee would examine all issues related to the revised project, including the contiguity issue of each of the five proposed SEZs,” an official said.

The Navi Mumbai SEZ (NMSEZ) Private Ltd, promoted by Ambani and his close aide Anand Jain, was notified on November 21, 2007 for a multi-product zone at Dronagiri.

The formal approval was given subject to the condition that the developer would establish contiguity between processing and non-processing areas by dedicated security gates, over-bridges and under passes.

The developer has revised the project twice and the last request pertained to splitting the SEZ into five enclaves. The plan is to split into SEZs for multi products, IT/ITeS and light engineering businesses. Sources said the official panel was constituted at the behest of the Department of Revenue which wanted to ensure that all the SEZ rules are complied with.