Chennai: Tamil Nadu will get a Coastal Economic Zone (CEZ) at Poomphuar while two other zones benefiting the State will be at Mannar and southern Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC South).
The State has been identified as one among the 14 CEZ along India's lengthy coastline under the Sagarmala programme.
Apparel, refining, leather processing, power, steel, petrochemicals, electronics and shipbuilding have been shortlisted as potential sectors whose growth will be targeted in Tamil Nadu. The CEZs will be economic zones comprising districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thiruvallur, Chennai and Kancheepuram on the coast or having a significant linkage to ports. The 14 zones have been identified as part of the National Perspective Plan of the Sagarmala programme.
The CEZs will be economic zones comprising districts on the coast or having a significant linkage to ports.
The rationale behind the project is to reduce logistics costs and time for movement of cargo and improve competitiveness of India's manufacturing sector at a global level.
According to the plan, a total of Rs 15,000 crore will be invested in the first phase of the project. The phase is expected to create more than 1.5 lakh jobs. Each CEZ would be as large as 2,000 to 3,000 square kilometres.
The proposed CEZs will come up in Kachch, Suryapur and Saurashtra in Gujarat, northern Konkan and southern Konkan in Maharashtra, Dakshin Kanara in Karnataka, Malabar in Kerala, Mannar, southern Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC South) and Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu, northern and central VCIC in Andhra Pradesh, Kalinga in Odisha and Gaud in West Bengal.
The country's first CEZ will be built near Navi Mumbai and will be spread across regions of Nashik, Thane, Raigad, Mumbai and Pune. Respective States will have to transfer the land to the Centre for development.
