Modi government drops handicrafts, artisan SEZ in Kutch, Gujarat, says state developers "not interested"

By A Representative
Handicrafts and artisans of Kutch are said to be a major identity of Gujarat's culture, both in the rest of India and abroad. Taking advantage of this, a state-sponsored proposal was floated in June 2007 to develop a Handicrafts and Artisans Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on 132 hectares (ha) land in village village Moti Chiral, near Bhachau town in Kutch district, Gujarat. Eight years after it was "formalized", the Narendra Modi government has dropped it like a hot potato.

The Board of Approvals (BoA), operating under the Government of India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has noted that "the progress made by the developers" for setting up the Handicrafts and Artisan SEZ "is not satisfactory", hence the the "Board, after deliberations, decided to cancel the formal approval/notification."
The BoA has, meanwhile, directed the developers -- Gujarat Growth Centres Development Corporation Ltd, with its office in Udyog Bhawan in Gujarat capital Gandhinagar -- to furnish the certificate in a prescribed format certifying that the developer "has not availed any tax/duty benefits including service tax exemptions, if any, under SEZ Act/Rules, or has refunded any such benefits."

Reacting to the development, Gujarat's former BJP chief minister Suresh Mehta, who worked as industries minister under Narendra Modi's chief ministership in 2002, said the development suggests "the Government of India is least interested in small-scale and cottage industries" and is "working for the interests of the big business." Mehta, who belongs to Kutch, quit from the BJP in 2007 protesting against the "authoritarian style" of Modi in Gujarat.

Suresh Mehta

A formal approval for the Handicraft and Artisan SEZ was granted on June 25, 2007. The formal approval was granted to the developer on June 25, 2007, which was last extended up to June 24, 2011. An official Commerce Ministry note says, "the matter with the developer" was taken up "several times" but "no communication" was received." And since the developer failed to initiate "any development activity", it was recommended to cancel its "formal approval."
Interestingly, the Gujarat Growth Centres Development Corporation Ltd was floated as a public company, incorporated in December 1992, and was registered at registrar of companies, Ahmedabad with an authorized share capital is Rs 1,000,000,000 and its paid up capital is Rs 363,500,064. Its last annual general meeting was held on August 29, 2013 "and as per records from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), its balance sheet was last filed on 31 March 2013", the official government note said.

Among half-a-dozen directors two were senior IAS officials, BB Swain, who is currently managing-director, Gujarat Industries Development Corporation (GIDC), and S Jagadeesan, former energy secretary, who retired two years ago.
Sources say, even earlier, the Gujarat government was not quite keen in developing the SEZ. In 2010, the GIDC recommended to reduce its size from 132 ha to 15 ha. In addition to this, the GIDC asked for a change in sector of the SEZ from ‘Handicrafts and Artisan’ to just ‘Handicraft’.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Is U.S. fast losing its financial and technological edge under Trump’s second tenure?

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

On Teachers’ Day, remembering Mother Teresa as the teacher of compassion

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

Gujarat minority rights group seeks suspension of Botad police officials for brutal assault on minor

By A Representative A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat, has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

Counterview

Search This Blog