DLF Ltd, the country's largest real estate firm, today said it has approached the government for de-notifying four of its IT-ITeS special economic zones (SEZ).

In a clarification issued to the stock exchanges in Mumbai, the company said it "has requested the ministry of commerce and industry for de-notification of four IT/ITES SEZs."

DLF issued the clarification after the National Stock Exchange (NSE) sought information about its reported plans to surrender five SEZs due to cash crunch.

Newspaper reports quoting a senior commerce ministry official said DLF had made an application to the ministry for dropping five of its nine notified IT/ITeS special economic zones.

The applications will be considered after the elections, the reports added.

The NSE said it sought clarification from DLF on the media reports ''in order to verify the accuracy or otherwise of the information reported in the media and to inform the market place so that the interest of the investors is safeguarded."

DLF had, in fact, deferred work on 5 SEZs as the tax-free enclaves cannot be surrendered once they become operational and the reports might have been based on this.

DLF had, earlier, surrendered its 40-acre IT SEZ in Delhi some time back owing to the slowdown. Twelve IT/ITeS SEZ projects are now on hold following the economic slowdown.

Realty firms like DLF and Parsvanath have been finding it difficult to raise funds for their SEZ projects amidst the slump in real estate business. Parsvanath had put on hold its 12 IT/ITeS SEZ projects.

The economic downturn has made SEZ developers uncertain about the future as they are not able to manage funds for their SEZ projects. The slowdown in the information technology sector has further complicated matters for real estate firms as the slowdown hit demand for both office space and houses.

The government has created the SEZs with a view to encourage foreign investment and exports. Under the SEZ Act, the land falling within the zone will be deemed as ''foreign territory'' for the purposes of Indian customs  duties and tariffs.

Each SEZ will be developed as an integrated township and will include residential accommodations, commercial and retail facilities, as well as schools, hospitals, hotels and other support infrastructure, including captive power generation facilities.