NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 20th May, 2009

S.0.1293(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 55 of the Special Economic Zone Act, 2005 (28 of 2005), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Special Economic Zone Rules, 2006, namely:—

1. (1) These rules may be called the Special Economic Zones (Second Amendment) Rules, 2009.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Special Economic Zone Rules, 2006, (hereinafter referred to as the principal Rules), in rule 2, in sub-rule (1), after clause (ze), the following clause shall be inserted namely:—

'(zf) "Vacant Land" means the land where there are no functional ports, manufacturing units, industrial activities or structures in which any commercial or economic activity is in progress'.

3. In the principal rules, in rules 5, in sub-rule (2), in clause (a) after the provisos, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:—

"Provided also that the Central Government may consider on merit the clubbing of contiguous existing notified Special Economic Zones notwithstanding that the total area of resultant Special Economic Zones exceeds 5000 hectares".

4. In the principal rules, in rule 19, in sub-rule (2), for the provisos, the following provisos shall be substituted, namely:—

"Provided that the Approval Committee may also approve proposals for broad-banding, diversification, enhancement of capacity of production, change in the items of manufacture or service activity, if it meets the requirements of rule 18 :

Provided further that no such approval shall be granted by the Approval Committee in those cases which fall within the competence of the Board of Approval:

Provided also that the Approval Committee may also approve change of the entrepreneur of an approved unit, if the incoming entrepreneur undertakes ta take over the assets and liabilities of the existing Unit".

F. No.F. I/144/2007-SEZ1

ANIL MUKIM.Jt. Secy.

Note:— The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary vide number G.S.R. 54(E), dated the 10th day of February, 2006 and subsequently amended vide notification number (i) G.S.R. 470 (E), dated the 10th day of August, 2006, (ii) G.S.R. 393 (E), dated the 16th day of March, 2007; (iii) G.S.R. 1744 (E), dated the 12th day of October, 2007; (iv) S.0.2661 (E), dated the 14th day of November, 2008; and (v) G.S.R. 72 (E), dated the 3rd February, 2009.