Ministry of Commerce has cancelled 1,840 hectares of land notified for Special Economic Zone belonging to Adani Port on non-conformity of a few norms.The company, in response, has clarified that there has been no work / sale on this part of the land and hence the cancellation will not impact existing operations.
According to the Commerce Ministry, Adani Port’s SEZ project did not conform with contiguity norms. The company had allegedly commenced unauthorised construction and the plot was landlocked, which denied access to the proposed facility.
The Ministry’s decision is in the process of being notified. However, the company has denied flouting any norms and has the option of seeking fresh permission to build an SEZ on the same plot.
“We had sought clearance for this additional land measuring 1,840 hectares for expansion in future. The clearance was turned down as the authorities felt that the proposed area lacked contiguity. We will seek clearance for this additional 1,840 hectares in due course,” a spokesperson at Adani group said.
The company does not seem disturbed over the development as it had not invested more than Rs. 70 crores to acquire the land. Moreover, the company has no liability as the said land has not been leased or sold out to any other company neither has any construction taken place.
Of the 10,000-odd hectares of land in its possession, Adani Port has 6,500 hectares of land as notified of which it has unsold land of around 4,000 hectares adequate enough to take care of the company’s near term modernisation plans.
Of the 6,500 hectares of land, the Commerce Ministry has cancelled 1,840 hectares. While contribution of SEZ is minuscule in overall value, the development is sentimentally negative.
However, a Government official told news agencies that “the project developer can approach the Board of Approval in the Commerce Ministry again to seek fresh permission, if they remove the three anomalies.”
The three anomalies include non-conformation to contiguity norms, violation of rule that requires SEZ site to be vacant before approval is sought and the site being landlocked without means of proper transport.
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