Another State Passes SEZ Legislation (maybe)

The Times of India reports that Maharashtra is (soon) to join the group of states that has passed specific SEZ legislation to complement the central Act (the SEZ Act 20015). Many states have got by just fine without having a state-level Act. Why it is that Maharashtra is passing an Act -- and why it is doing so now -- is difficult to say? One indication is the range of exemptions built into the Act. In one sweep, the bill will remove units in an SEZ from a huge raft of state-level legislation -- everything from industrial relations regulations to tax laws to rules governing the responsibilities of elected local councils. It is likely that the business community would have welcomed this kind of legislation earlier in Maharashtra; but building the requisite political support and moving the Bill through the complex legislative process has not been easy. It's not over yet, either, regardless of what commentators have to say.