WB IT Dept.: State Ready to Talk on SEZ But on Own Terms

Kolkata: On Thursday, West Bengal state IT minister Bratya Basu said in the Assembly that the state’s policy for tax free zones ‘is not in line with the IT companies’ those requested to form Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the state.

Reports are that Basu’s comments was a follow-up of Congress MLA Asit Mitra’s, who said that IT major Infosys is holding back its investment and employment only because the government ‘was not keen on giving it the SEZ status.’

EXIN Times sources also added that just because the IT Company is holding part of their profits to invest in the state and drive employment, the state ministry cannot avoid the long-term effects of SEZs. “If any one company is demanding SEZ, it does not mean we will have to give in. We have to look into it in totality,” Basu asserted in the Assembly.

Reports are that the state government has named 50 acre plots at Rajarhat for IT major Infosys that is seeking the SEZ status to the proposed facility. However, Basu said that he is in contact with the Infosys officials who will come to Kolkata for talks. He also noted that though he will do all the talks with Infosys, but the IT department does not decide on SEZ.

However the Opposition has said that the ministry’s stand on SEZ is troubling the state and leaving it deprived. “The government is not giving SEZ status to Infosys simply because it has said it won’t. If companies like these wrap up business from here, the state will lose Rs 5,000 crore to 5,500 crore. The CM should realize that the SEZ policy was formulated when she was a member of the Union cabinet,” CPM Mla Sujan Chakraborty added in this context to EXIN Times.