Maran criticizes SEZ freeze
New Delhi: Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran's has criticized the freeze on SEZ approvals vociferously.

After violent protests over land acquisition rocked West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, the Centre had decided to put on hold all SEZ notifications and approvals till a national relief and rehabilitation policy was formulated.

Maran has urged the Centre to clear proposals "at least where companies have their own land."

He added that companies like Nokia and Flextronics, which wish to set up ancillary units in Tamil Nadu to manufacture keypads and other parts, were adversely affected by the freeze. "There are at least ten pending proposals for setting up of ancillary units which are yet to be cleared," he said.

The chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat are also urging the de-freezing of SEZ approvals. They say the delay in clearing SEZ proposals could dissuade investors and had already thrown a spanner in the works of several firms who had invested in equipment, they say.
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India rejects WTO proposal to end Doha talks
New Delhi: India has rejected the World Trade Organisation's proposal to conclude the negotiations on the Doha Round by June-end because the tenure of the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in the United States expires on June 30.

According to Sandra Polanski, director of trade, equity and development project at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, it would be impractical to believe that the expiry of the TPA will impact the Doha Round.

She said the Uruguay Round took eight years while the Doha Round is only five years old. She said she would be surprised if the round concludes by 2009 on the sidelines of an international seminar, Saving Doha and Delivering on Development.
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Bangalore's International airport to start operating in April 2008
New Delhi: An international airport at Bangalore will start operations in about a year from now, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel informed the Rajya Sabha. He said that the opening date of the new international airport at Bangalore, as fixed by the Bangalore International Airport Ltd, is April 2, 2008. The Karnataka government has suggested the new airport be known as Bangalore International Airport.
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