Industry chambers today welcomed the central government's decision to lift the freeze on special economic zones, saying it clears the uncertainty surrounding the SEZ policy."The decision will clear uncertainties and give a clear signal that SEZs are here to stay," FICCI said in a statement.The clearance of the proposals to set up SEZs with a limit on multi-product zones and the discretion to the states to lower the size below this limit would give flexibility in establishing such zones, it said.Echoing similar sentiments, CII said the decision would put an end to compulsory land acquisition by state governments and limiting the size of SEZs would end the ambiguity about the future of SEZs."The state industrial development corporations may now use land already earmarked for industrial purposes for creation of these SEZs," a CII statement said.The decision to fix a ceiling of 5,000 hectares of land for SEZ was a praiseworthy step that would settle all the controversies on SEZs, Assocham said."Clearing of 83 proposals will accelerate economic activities for increased production and exports," Venugopal N Dhoot, president, Assocham, said.
