Ministry of commerce is likely to cancel 12 SEZS in Telangana and 2 SEZs in the AP state during a meeting to be held by Board of Approvals of it at New Delhi on Thursday. The reason for cancelation of approvals is the erstwhile AP government has not even bothered to submit any proposals or action plan for setting up industries in the SEZs granted to the state.

It has formed Deccan Infrastructure and Land Holdings Ltd (DILL) for this purpose, but it takes no initiative to complete this process despite several reminders from the BoA. Hence, DILL was informed that formal approvals given to it for setting up SEZs will be cancelled as there was no progress. Unfortunately, DILL has not even responded to that final reminder also. So, the BoA is likely to cancel formal approvals given to the state in its tomorrow’s meeting.

Getting approvals for setting up SEZs is a very complicated process. It involves many state and central government departments. But, when 14 SEZs were granted to the state, previous Congress government in the state simply sat on them during its ten years term and let them roll back. Congress leaders of AP and Telangana states, who are making tall claims about developing the state during their term should answer why their government has failed to utilize this opportunity provided by the Centre and why they are making hue and cry now against the AP, TS and NDA governments?