Palash Kumar A separate clause is being introduced in Rule 19 of the SEZ rules as 19(8) to allow the government to set up its project to build strategic oil reserves on SEZ land without the mandatory export condition.

The government is set to amend a clause of the SEZ laws to allow it to build strategic petroleum reserves totalling five million metric tonnes in the SEZ notified areas without being bound by any export obligations. The amendment would waive the requirement to export oil from its reserves to be built in the notified SEZ areas.

For a change, the quarterly meeting of North Goa Zilla Panchayat (NGZP) held today turned out to be without any trouble. Congratulatory motions dominated the meeting. A motion was moved congratulating the government about its decision to go head with the proposed Mopa International airport. There was also a motion moved congratulating the government for scrapping Special Economic Zone (SEZs.) Both the motions were moved by Upadhyaksha Kishore Narvekar. A motion was also moved congratulating Adhayaksha Amol Morajkar for completing one year in office.

Goa Pradesh Youth Congress, while welcoming the resolution of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to cancel and revoke land allotments to SEZ companies in Goa, has ridiculed the Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar for refusing to appreciate Chief Minister Digambar Kamat's decision to scrap SEZ from Goa. GPYC chief Sankalp Amonkar said CM deserved kudos for his latest decision to cancel land allotment to SEZ promoters.

MUMBAI: Farmers affected by the Reliance group's Mumbai Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway at Vashi Naka near Pen in Raigad district for over two hours on Tuesday alleging that the government went back on its assurances. The protesters led by senior Peasants and Workers Party leader N.D. Patil were later arrested.

Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco has appealed to all Goans, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or political affiliation, to remain united and strengthen the hands of Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat in the fight against the establishment of Special Economic Zones till the last stone is unturned in the larger interest of the state.

The state BJP Bhoo Parirakshana Samiti convenor, Dr S. Malla Reddy, said that farmers were meted out injustice in land acquisition for establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and urged the state government to take steps to help them.

Documents on SEZs (special economic zones) reveal that altogether 19 companies had applied to the Goa government for setting up SEZs in the State. Of these, the Pratapsing Rane-headed coalition government had made recommendation to Board of Approvals, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, in 15 cases. These included two government SEZs promoted by Dayanand Narvekar-headed Information Technology (InfoTech) Corporation, namely IT Habitat in Dona Paula and IT Park in Socorro.

The Left Front won in Panchayat Elections in May 2008 but it came with a pinch of salt. The polls indicated that the industrialization drive has not gone down well with the rural electorate. The

"There is widespread sense of outrage amongst the country's coastal communities,' says Harekrishna Debnath, chairperson of the National Fishworkers' Forum. The indignation stems from the loss of