By IANS
Coimbatore : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Wednesday that it favoured special economic zones (SEZs) only in limited areas.
“We are of the view that SEZs should be granted only for those industries where advanced technology is required. The second category could be for the export-oriented sectors,” West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here.
Speaking on the sidelines of the CPI-M party congress, he said the area of land to be provided should depend on the industry.
“There should be restrictions… At least 50 percent of the land should be used for industrial purposes and 25 percent for infrastructure. Nobody can bypass the law of the land, so SEZs should not be exempted from labour laws.”
According to the chief minister, there should be no SEZs for real estate, recreation centers and water sports.
Bhattacharjee went on: “West Bengal has a history as a manufacturing hub since the British rule. The manufacturing sector was powerful in the state. We want to revive that glory.”
Dismissing opposition to his industrial policies from the CPI-M’s smaller allies as “small differences”, Bhattacharjee said: “They will gradually support us. We will reach a consensus.”