Adani Ports & SEZ seeks to club 3 SEZs in Gujarat

Adani Group has sought government's approval for clubbing its three notified special economic zones (SEZs) in Gujarat to form a mega multi-product export zone spanning over 8,500 hectare area.
The proposal will be considered by the Board of Approval, (BoA) headed by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia, on February 23.
The developer, Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd (APSEZ), has stated that they have master planned these as a mega multi-product SEZ.
As per the original master plan, the SEZ with an integrated world-class development spanning the entire supply chain by way of multi modal connectivity, all utilities and industrial and social infrastructure facilities has been done for 10,000 hectares.

"They have developed various infrastructure facilities in the existing notified operational SEZs. Further, the multi product SEZ notified over an area of 1856.53 hectares at the same location in Mundra is contiguous with the existing notified and operational SEZs," according to the agenda note of the board.
As per the SEZ Rules 2006, the government may consider on merit the clubbing of contiguous existing notified SEZs notwithstanding that the total area of resultant SEZ exceeds 5,000 hectares.

The APSEZ - I, a multi product special economic zone, is operational as on date and it is spread over an area of 6,456.33 hectares.

The APSEZ - II, a free trade warehousing zone was notified in March 2012, over an area of 168.41 hectares at Mundra, Gujarat. The validity of formal approval has been extended by the BoA up to January 3, 2017.
Similarly, the APSEZ - III, a multi product SEZ was notified in December last year, over an area of 1856.53 hectares at Mundra. The validity of formal approval has been extended up to April 23, 2018.
"Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd, developer of three SEZs at Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat has submitted a proposal for clubbing of these three notified SEZs," the agenda said.

Further, it said that a committee in its report has mentioned that there will be overall contiguity of the total area if the three SEZs are clubbed.