Guidelines regarding 'land acquisition for SEZs' - Reg.

Prohibition on compulsory land acquisition for SEZs preserves consent-based acquisition and limits Board approval for affected projects.

State governments must not undertake compulsory acquisition of land for SEZs; SEZs with compulsory acquisition after the cutoff will not be approved by the Board of Approval. Cases where all interest-holders have not objected or have withdrawn objections may be considered, but where statutory objections remain the acquisition should not proceed for SEZ purposes and such cases should not be presented to the Board. In areas with special land-ownership regimes, leases by designated developmental agencies under an approved master plan to SEZ developers may be treated as SEZ land in possession.