Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has dropped a proposal to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Solapur, the home town of power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, owing to recession and lack of demand. Madha parliamentary constituency, also in Solapur district, is represented by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
"This is being viewed as a setback for the development of the backward Solapur district. As Solapur has several textile units, it was expected that the
SEZ would boost the area's development. The MIDC has dropped the proposal on the grounds that there is no demand for textile products abroad. The corporation must reconsider its decision," a senior Congress minister said.
The MIDC had earmarked 103 hectares in Mohol tehsil for setting up the textile SEZ. It was then proposed that the SEZ would be functional by 2011-end. However, at the board meeting held on March 25, the MIDC moved a proposal for shelving the SEZ plan. "The board approved the proposal," he said.
The MIDC has also dropped the plan for setting up a captive power plant at Bhadrawati in Chandrapur district, an IT SEZ in Ambernath and Airoli, another captive power plant at Usar in Raigad, a bio-tech SEZ at Jalna and an agro-based SEZ in Akola district. The proposed investment in these 16 SEZs was Rs 28,000 crore, with a job potential of 3.3 lakh.
The minister said a section of developers took back their proposals owing to agitations, but it was wrong MIDC's part to abandon the SEZs. "We will request the chief minister to review the situation," the minister said.
"MIDC's decision is being viewed as a setback for the backward Solapur district which has a large number of textile units.
Source : yarnsandfibers.com