PUNJAB CLEARS MUCH-AWAITED SEZ BILL
Rahul Kumar, Chandigarh, July 13, 2009
The Economic Times (Delhi edition) Business Standard
With the SAD-BJP government clearing the much-awaited Punjab Special Economic Zones Bill, 2009, on Saturday, the decks have been cleared for developers to give a major boost to the development of the SEZ's in the state.
As per the norms laid down in the policy, the requirement of areas for setting up SEZs in case of a multi product SEZ is 1,000 hectare, product-specific 100 hectare, IT-specific 10 hectare and warehousing 40 hectare. Speaking about the policy, state industries & commerce minister Manoranjan Kalia said due to paucity of land and high cost in the state, the government has asked the Centre for relaxation in the aforementioned norms and has also sought permission for development of SEZs as per viability of the project, to be determined by the developer.
MOHALI TO BE DEVELOPED IN PHASES UNDER MASTER PLAN
Nitin Jain, Mohali, July 13, 2009
The Indian Express
According to the final master plan of the state Government, Mohali will be developed in phases. Reason: simultaneous treatment of the entire 16674-hectare area, marked for development, will be neither feasible nor desirable.
The phasing plan, the copy of the master plan says, has been designed to ensure that the development of land within the local planning area is well-coordinated and involves minimum investments on the provision of infrastructure.
Considering their potential to spearhead IT growth, education and business tourism in the region, the Airport City, Knowledge City, Business and Hi-tech Parks have been earmarked for the first phase of development.