Central nod for SEZ at Cherthala The Union Government has handed over a clearance letter to the State Government for setting up a multi-product Special Economic Zone at Pallippuram, adjacent to the Cherthala Infopark, in Alappuzha.
The new SEZ would be set up as a unit of the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) except that it would be bigger compared to CSEZ which has only 103 acres of land.
The State Government had submitted a proposal to the Union Government for setting up a SEZ in the 125 acres of land owned by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), two years ago. The CSEZ authorities had also submitted a report on the project to the Union Commerce Ministry in 2008. But, the Centre had not shown much interest in it at the beginning.
The Centre would invest Rs 100 crore while Rs 15,00 crore investment was expected from private investors.
The new SEZ is expected to provide 15,000 employment opportunities to local people and would provide infrastructure facilities to over 150 manufacturing companies including many local companies at low rate.
The new SEZ aims at multi-national companies along with small scale investors and local-level manufacturing companies. The construction work of the SEZ will be launched soon after the state Cabinet officially hands over the land of KSIDC to CSEZ on long term lease agreement.
News Source:
www.expressbuzz.com Infopark Cherthala more information
Foundation stone laid on 22/02/09
Official websites:
http://www.keralaitparks.org/projects.html http://www.keralaitparks.org/cherthala.html 
