By IANS
New Delhi : The central government is not doing a rethink on special economic zones and it is for the state governments to decide on the development model they would like to follow, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here Wednesday.
“Special economic zones (SEZs) have been successful. They have generated employment and investment. There is no rethinking on the SEZ Act as it is an act of parliament,” The minister told a “Partnership Summit” being held in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital.
The summit is being jointly organised by industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Government of Haryana with the theme “Emerging Consensus: Inclusive and Sustainable Development”.
Referring to the Goa government’s decision of scrapping SEZs in that state, Nath said: “We have received a letter from the Goa government and it is totally up to the state government (whether to scrap SEZs or not). I have said earlier also that if the government does not trust SEZs in any state, it is for the states to decide on the kind of the development model they would like to have.”
Speaking about a free trade agreement with China, the minister said: “We are not expecting negotiations this year. First, we will hold discussions and then the joint study group chaired by me and my (Chinese) counterpart will hold a meeting, examine the reports and consult the industries ad then we will decide.”
Nath will be meeting World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy during the three-day summit.