The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has received the green signal from the Union ministry of commerce and industry to change the sector of its special economic zone (SEZ) slated to come up in Kutch. The state government body has also been accorded approval for changing the sector of the SEZ from 'Handicrafts and Artisan' to just 'Handicraft'.
The Board of Approval (BoA) set up by the central government to study SEZ proposals has recently given a go-ahead to GIDC for making changes in the sector status of its SEZ in Kutch.
Gujarat Growth Centres Development Corporation Limited (GGCDCL), a special purpose vehicle of GIDC, was given a formal approval in June 2007 to set up a sector-specific SEZ for handicrafts and artisans at village Moti Chirai in Kutch district of the state over 131 hectares. However, this SEZ is yet to be notified.
According to industry sources, there is good demand for carved furniture from the Gulf countries, and so GIDC decided to set up an SEZ for handicrafts, where value addition to imported timber can be done. The location is near the timber-based industrial park proposed by the state government on 106 hectares of land.
The government has also acceded to GIDC's request for reduction in the area of the SEZ from 131 hectares to 15 hectares citing unviability of the original area for this project.
