The Goa government has obtained two weeks' time from a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa to take a decision on its stop-work orders issued to three private developers of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The government was on Monday caught in a bind over a communication from the Centre expressing inability to denotify three of the already notified SEZs proposed to come up in Goa.

It will await land procurement panel's clearance The project is to be set up on over 4,800 acres of land Trinamool Congress has expressed opposition to it In line with its decision to go ahead with moves to acquire land for industry and infrastructure only with the consent of local elected bodies, the West Bengal government announced here on Tuesday that it would put on hold the proposal to set up a major township at Dankuni in the Hooghly district.

The Trinamul Congress and the LF junior partners today lambasted the CPI-M for "trying to be wise after the event by letting the state urban development minister' announce the state government's decision today that land would be acquired for any industrialisation project only after setting up land procurement committees that include local representatives. Trinamul chief Miss Mamata Banerjee said the CPI-M-led LF government had lost its credibility and there's no need to attach any importance to the words its individual ministers say from time to time.

Rejecting opposition from different quarters, Jammu and Kashmir Government finally transferred 39.88 hectares of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) in Sindh Forest Division. Director Public Relations SASB Madan Mantoo today confirmed that the land has been transferred to the board by the government. The State Government has accorded sanction to diversion of forest-land measuring 39.88 hectares falling in Block Kukllan, Range Sindh in the Sindh Forest Division to board, he said

If the reactions to the Union Commerce Ministry's decision declining the Goa government's request to denotify the three SEZ's that were granted final approval

Though the Central government has refused to de-notify three Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the State government has still got a case to get the SEZ scrapped. The State government will have to inquire into fraudulent land allotments for SEZs and prove that transactions entered into were in contravention of law, suggested opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, while reacting to the Centre's refusal to heed the Goa government's demand on SEZs

The three special economic zones in Goa notified under Special Economic Zone Act 2005 have already been denotified by the people of Goa and therefore a bureaucratic order is meaningless and impractical, said Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Shantaram Naik. Reacting to the refusal by the Union Commerce Ministry to de-notify the three special economic zones, Naik said that he had no doubt that the State government will not leave the issue in wilderness and fight the battle in the interest of the people and the State.

The provision for urgent take-overs bypassing procedure is open to misuse by powerful interests.

In tune with the CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat's prescription after the panchayat poll debacles to the CPI(M)-led government to put on hold any development project vis-a-vis land acquisition drive, the West Bengal government on Tuesday declared that in face of any protest during land procurement for the Dankuni Township in Hooghly district, the entire project might be scrapped. Significantly, the state government has already put a brake on Salim Group's proposed projects in East Medinipur and North and South 24 Parganas.

The Digamber Kamat-led Goa Government will have to consesually get their way out with the SEZ promoters in the State. The Union Commerce Ministry has said that they cannot offer much help for the State Government to denotify three notified SEZs in the State. The letter came as a blow to the State Government which is currently reeling under severe political pressure to save its existence. State chief secretary JP Singh said that the Government has received such a letter and we will take the stand within a couple of days after thorough discussion on the issue.