The Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill was discussed and passed in Lok Sabha today. The Bill makes amendments to the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005. It replaces an Ordinance that was promulgated in March 2019.
During the discussion, members raised several points. Some members questioned the need to bring these amendments through an Ordinance. Several others wanted furthering clarity on how land will be allocated to create Special Economic Zones in the country. Some members also spoke of certain regions in the country that could benefit from employment opportunities that would be created by creating Special Economic Zones.
In Rajya Sabha, the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address concluded with a response from the Prime Minister. The House then took up a discussion on the challenges of water crises including water supply in the country. Members raised concerns of drought-like conditions in several states. Several members raised the point of needing both short-term and long-term planning solutions on the district, state, and national level to tackle the water crises.
In 2016, we published a report on Groundwater scenario in India. The report presents indicators regarding the availability of ground water in the country. It also highlights key issues in this sector and the policy framework.