The Special Investment Region (SIR) Act, 2009
As per the vision ‘Viksit Gujarat@2047’, Gujarat envisions to emerge as the growth engine for Viksit Bharat, aiming to fortify its leadership in manufacturing, high-value exports, while championing sustainability. To create large size Investment Regions / Industrial areas and develop them as Global Hubs for economic activity supported by world class infrastructure, the Government of Gujarat had enacted the SIR Act in 2009.
The objectives of the Act are to provide for establishment, operation, regulation and management of large size Investment Regions and Industrial Areas in the State of Gujarat; and to specially enable their development as global hubs of economic activity supported by world class infrastructure, premium civic amenities, centers of excellence and pro-active policy framework; and for setting up an organizational structure with that purpose and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
As per the Act, the State Government may declare an existing or proposed Investment Region (area of more than 100 Sq.Km.) or Industrial Area (area of more than 50 Sq.Km. & less than 100 Sq.Km.) to be a Special Investment Region. For effective planning of the various economic activities in the SIR, the provisions of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976, are applicable with respect to Development Plans and Town Planning schemes.
The Act provides for 3-tier institutional structure as below:
- Apex Authority to make regulations and to sanction Development Plans, General Development Control Regulations and Town Planning Schemes
- Regional Development Authority (RDA) to supervise, monitor, regulate and ensure the planned development of SIR
- Nodal Company/ Project Development Agency (PDA) to develop the infrastructure projects within the SIR, including projects connecting the SIR, and to invite private sector participation
The Act also provides 3 tier mechanism for faster redressal of grievances and amicable settlement of disputes:
- Grievance Redressal Committee (to be Set up by RDA).
- Dispute Resolution Forum (to be Set up by Apex Authority)
- Dispute Resolution Mechanism (to be Set up by the State Government) to deal with the disputes against RDA or those which could not be resolved by GRC and GRF.
As GIDB is designated as an Apex Authority for the purpose of SIRs under section 5 of the SIR Act and Section 6 of the Act provides for powers and functions of the Apex Authority (GIDB).
Apex Authority (GIDB) is empowered to sanction the ‘Development Plans’ & ‘Town Planning Schemes’ including ‘Development Control Regulations’ made by Regional Development Authorities and is a single point of contact for any economic activities proposed under the SIRs. The Apex Authority (GIDB) is primarily entrusted to monitor the developments of SIRs within the State of Gujarat.
Presently, Dholera, Dahej PCPIR and Mandal – Becharaji is declared as an SIR under the Act and the preparation of town planning schemes is in progress at various stages through consultative process.
