Haryana Minister orders action on SEZ land-use change

Haryana Minister Abhimanyu has directed officials to take expeditious action in the matter of conversion of SEZ land meant for information technology sector into commercial land against norms.

Pointing out that it had resulted in a substantial revenue loss to the state and also made IT industry unviable in Haryana, the Finance and Excise and Taxation Minister directed the Revenue Department to take necessary action.

A number of companies had set up infrastructure at prime locations, especially in Gurugram, adjoining Delhi, under SEZ (special economic zone) scheme in the past two decades, taking advantage of the tax concessions on offer.

However, most of these buildings were later put to commercial use, with non-IT companies allowed to take the premises on lease.

The Minister, who presided over a meeting of officers of various departments here, also asked the Revenue Department to make the Asset Management Cell fully functional on priority basis so that mapping of all assets of the state, both within and outside Haryana, could be completed and the Asset Register could be prepared by March 31.

He also took a serious view of outstanding electricity bills -- amounting to Rs 336.14 crore -- of the Municipal Councils in Haryana and directed that the matter be sorted out on priority in consultation with the discoms.

Abhimanyu said that in 2017-18, total revenue receipts of Haryana up to November 30, 2017, were Rs 38,474 crore, constituting 56 per cent of budget estimates of Rs 68,812 crore.

The revenue receipts last year in the same period were Rs 31,929 crore (51 per cent).

--IANS

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