Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati may have sent a recommendation to the Centre against the proposed SEZ by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, but she is well on way to fulfill her “no unemployment allowance, but job opportunities” promise.Soon after her move against the proposed SEZ in Noida, Mayawati got Central clearance for three new SEZs in the state on May 31. All the three SEZs—in leather, textile and engineering sector—propose to come up in Kanpur and are expected to generate over one lakh jobs, besides ensuring an increase in export to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) too has also pulled up its socks to expedite work on these SEZs. Proposals have already been invited from project management consultant companies, including the Delhi-based Infrastructure Leasing and Services Ltd, to draft the final layout of the SEZs. A four-lane road will connect the SEZ sites on the Kanpur-Unnao Highway for which 256 acres of land in 16 villages of Unnao is being acquired. Authorities feel that initial hitches would also be taken care of the month-end. While Government offices are elated over the progress, the question is whether Kanpur, with its baggage of being a polluted town which lacks in infrastructure and is dotted with dying industries, will be able to provide a conducive environment for the SEZs. Indian Industries Association Chairman, Kanpur Chapter, Sunil Vaish said, “Apart from giving facilities to industries under the SEZ policies, the city has to improve and upgrade its own infrastructure. It needs better hotels and amenities to cater to buyers and traders coming from outside for business.”UPSIDC Managing Director Balwinder Kumar agrees that the city is not yet equipped to promote industries and power supply, which is a matter of concern. “But the SEZs proposed will have their own power stations,” he said. There will be connecting roads for the industries with complete infrastructural support.The traders in the city are hopeful. “Along with other benefits and facilities provided under the SEZ policy, the duty-free import of raw material and machines will be a big relief for traders,” said Taaj Alam of King’s International Leather Exporters. Ramesh Chandra, Managing Director of International Industrial Electronic Devices, said that names like Red Tape and Allen Cooper are known across the world, but only few know they are manufactured in Kanpur.The city has over 475 leather factories, manufacturing footwear, non-leather footwear, leather garments and saddlery. There are around 300 textile units—many forced to shut down due to power shortage, labour unrest and Government policies—with an annual export of nearly Rs 100 crore. Assisted by institutes like the IIT and Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, over 100 engineering units are functional with an annual export of Rs 25 crore.
