Chandigarh, December 8
Notwithstanding the ongoing controversy surrounding the granting of special economic zone (SEZ) status to industries across the country, the Punjab Government has forwarded three more proposals to the Government of India for the grant of the SEZ status to certain sector specific industries in the state.

Delhi-based Lark Projects intend to set up a sector- specific SEZ for electronic hardware and software, including Information Technology Enabled Services on 30 acres in Landran village, SAS Nagar. The company is offering to spend Rs 540 crore here.

Chandigarh-based Sukham Infrastructure Limited has proposed to set up an SEZ in Mohali related to IT and IT-enabled services. The company has identified an area of almost 29 acres in Sector 66 Mohali out of the 220 acres of mega IT Park. The company intends to spend Rs 1602 crore on the project.

M/s Abhishek Industries propose to set up an SEZ at Barnala for producing home furnishings. The company intends to use over 350 acres and invest Rs 750 crore on the project.

During a meeting chaired by the Punjab Chief Secretary, it was decided that the three projects be recommended for approval by the Union Government.

With the recommendation of these three projects, the total number of such proposals pending with the Union Ministry of Industries and Commerce has gone up to almost a dozen.

In Punjab, the Centre has, in principle, approved the SEZ status only for Quark City Mohali and Ranbaxy Mohali. The other proposals pending include a textile SEZ at Ludhiana, the DLF projects in Amritsar and Ludhiana, an IT project in Dera Bassi and two other projects of Quark, among others.

The Punjab Government had notified the SEZ in August last year. Following a recommendation by the state government, the proposals are studied by the Union Ministry of Industries and Commerce and first given a nod in principle, following which a proper approval is granted.

The SEZ status for a particular industrial belt is deemed foreign territory for tariff and trade operations. Since the development of SEZs is expected to promote establishment of self-contained areas supported by world-class infrastructure oriented towards export promotion, getting an SEZ status means getting a host of exemptions.