5,000 acres of land marked for SEZ

5,000 acres of land marked for SEZ
15 Sep, 2006 l 2306 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK


BELGAUM: The district administration has identified 5,000 acres of land near Kakati village on the national highway to establish a special economic zone. The project, after approval, would generate employment for 1.5 lakh people.

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has already assured that the project will get approval, MLA Abhay Patil told reporters here on Friday.

Patil said the proposal has been prepared by the administration and the identified land belongs to the forest department, but is not reserved forest.

Land from Ramdurg and Saundatti taluks would be allotted to the forest department and its land here would be acquired for the SEZ.

Two companies from Delhi have evinced interest in investing in the proposed SEZ. Kumaraswamy has been asked to give tax and power concessions for the companies investing in the SEZ, and hold a meet of investors in Belgaum.

To this, the CM has given his nod during discussions with office-bearers of the Belgaum Chamber of Commerce, he said.

A proposal has also been sent to the government to establish a truck terminal and Autonagar near Honga, on the national highway.

The present Autonagar scheme failed as it is away from the highway, and garages have refused to move there, Patil said.

He also said that land to create infrastructure for Vidhana Soudha here has been identified and the acquisition process will begin soon.

The chief minister, during the assembly session here, is expected to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Vidhana Soudha, ring road and international-level cricket stadium, he said.