Maya acting in haste?

Rajesh N Singh / TNN / May 29, 2007, 01:06 IST

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Did the Mayawati government act in haste while referring the Noida SEZ of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) for Centre's perusal?

LUCKNOW: Did the Mayawati government act in haste while referring the Noida special economic zone (SEZ) of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) for Centre's perusal? Or, was the thinktank of her government not aware of the latest amendments in the SEZ rules? Whatever may be the answers, it seems the 'contiguity' condition that has been cited by the Mayawati government as a lacuna for justifying its stand, was amended in March 2007.
On May 24, the state Cabinet while reviewing the SEZ allotted to ADAG by the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government, found that the 'contiguity' clause was violated. The Cabinet secretary while briefing reporters of the Cabinet decisions had said since there was a road running between 1200 acres land allotted to ADAG for SEZ in Noida, the Cabinet has decided to refer the matter to the Centre for its perusal.
Perhaps the government was unaware that the 'contiguity' clause had already been amended in March 2007. In a specific case of contiguity relaxation, a letter was sent by the director of (SEZ) section of the ministry of commerce and industries to Reliance Jamnagar Infrastructure Ltd (RJIL) on May 9, 2007.
In that letter (a copy of which is in possession of TOI), it was stated that the board considered the issue of contiguity relaxation relating to thoroughfare comprising two rail lines and two roads on the land area in RJIL possession in its meeting on April 26, 2007 and agreed to relax the contiguity condition in terms of the provisions to sub-rule (2) of rule 7 of the SEZ Rules, 2006 read with SEZ (second amendment) Rules, 2007.
Clearly, by referring the Noida SEZ for reconsideration, Mayawati has put Centre in a tricky situation.

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