Two more SEZs lined up in Punjab

Two SEZs have been notified in the state, four formally approved and four given in-principle approval.

Ansal Properties & Infrastructure Ltd and Ishan Developers & Infrastructure Ltd has applied to the state government for developing an IT SEZ in Mohali and an Integrated Textile Park in Amritsar, respectively.

Moreover, three private developers are waiting for in-principle approval from the Centre for developing special economic zones (SEZs) in Punjab.

The projects waiting for in-principle approval are Mohali-based A-Tech IT City's IT SEZ in Mohali with a proposed investment of Rs 205 crore and spread over 57.89 hectares, Chandigarh-based Sukhm Infrastructure (P) Ltd's IT SEZ with a proposed investment of Rs 745 crore, and Ludhiana-based Malhotra Land Developers & Colonisers (P) Ltd's engineering SEZ with a project cost of Rs 213 crore and spread over 121.41 hectares. Except based Malhotra Land Developers both these company possess land for their projects.

Two SEZs have been notified in the state, formal approvals have been given to four SEZs and in-principle approval to four projects, taking the total number of SEZs in Punjab to 10.

The IT SEZ Park by Quarkcity India (P) Ltd. spread over 13.75 hectares (promoted by Fred Ebrahimi and Mary Wilkie Ebrahimi with a project cost of Rs 500 crore) at Mohali and SEZ for pharmaceutical industry to be developed by Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd at Mohali with a proposed investment of Rs. 265 crore, spread over 32 hectares, have been notified by the Centre. Both these companies have land in possession for the project.

Further, formal approvals have been given to four SEZ projects, namely Rs 772.5-crore Vividha Infrastructure (P) Ltd, Rs 897.5-crore Mridul Infrastructure (P) Ltd, both at Rajpura(Patila district), Rs 719.74-crore Sukhmani Towers (P) Ltd at Derabassi and Rs 540.16-crore Lark Projects Pvt. Ltd at Mohali.

Except for Lark Projects, which has arranged 11 hectares and has yet to get 1.14 hectare, the other three companies have arranged land for their projects.

Rockman Projects Ltd, which is setting up a textile SEZ on 100 hectares at Ludhiana with an investment of Rs 250 crore, has been granted in-principle approval.

Also, Shipra Estate Ltd, a Delhi-based company, has also been granted in-principle approval by the Centre to set up an IT SEZ at Mohali over 20.24 hectares, which will entail an investment of Rs 360 crore. Rockman has arranged 60.72 hectares while Shipra estate has arranged the entire land.

However, uncertainty remains over the proposed multi-product SEZ (engineering, textile, food processing and free tradeware housing) by DLF at Amritsar.

The promoter is yet to acquire land and has requested to extend the validity of in-principle approval by one year.(the letter was recommended to the Centre on January 12 this year by the state government).

The proposed SEZ was to come up in Amritsar spread over 485 hectares with an investment of Rs 453 crore.

Also, DLF has yet to acquire land for its another proposed multi-product SEZ at Ludhiana which has been given in-principle approval, where it needs over 1,012 hectares and intends to invest Rs 1,800 crore.