Gujarat government shelves 14 SIRs, to focus only on three

GANDHINAGAR: The Anandiben Patel government has decided to go ahead with only three out of the 17 Special Investment Regions (SIRs) that were announced in 2009 when Narendra Modi was Gujarat chief minister. These three SIRs are — Dholera; PCPIR-Dahej; and Mandal Bechraji, the size of the last being reduced to 1/3rd of the original. The notification about Hazira SIR has been formally withdrawn because of protests by farmer groups late last year.
After 2009, the state government had notified a total of eight SIRs but the draft development plan for only three have been approved. The draft development plans of four notified SIRs, which are yet to be prepared, have been put on hold.
No formal notification has been issued about the other SIRs that were announced in 2009. The preparation of their draft development plans has also been stopped.
State government spokesperson and minister in-charge, industry & mines development, Saurabh Patel, confirmed that the state government had decided to focus only on three SIR projects.
“Instead of focusing on many, we have decided to develop only three key SIRs in the state. Dholera, Mandal-Becharaji and PCPIR Dahej are the only priority. These three SIRs are expected to see business activity in the next few years,'' said Patel.
Sources close to the development said that due to changed priorities in the past few years, the state government, instead of promoting many SIRs, has decided to focus on only three SIRs. Land acquisition is a major problem and the response from industry has also been discouraging.
So far the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has acquired or developed approximately 31,500 hectares (315 sq.km) area for industrial estates in the past five decades of its existence. In 2009, the state government had announced a plan to notify 4188 sq. km area that would be developed for industrial activity using government and acquired farm land.
The SIRs which have been shelved are as follows: Aliyabet Entertainment and Eco Development SIR; Santalpur SIR; Halol-Savali SIR; Hazira SIR (now withdrawn); Changodar SIR; Viramgam SIR; Pipavav SIR; Simar SIR; Navlakhi SIR; Anjar SIR; Ohkha SIR; and Dabhoi-Tilakvada SIR. Two other SIRs —Mandal-Sami SIR and Becharaji SIR were earlier much larger. They have been truncated, merged and notified as Mandal-Becharaji SIR.