Mumbai: The government has granted formal clearance to Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries'' multi-service special economic zone in Haryana. The board of approval also gave in-principle nod to Reliance''s port-based SEZ in Maharashtra and GMP''s Hyderabad airport project, besides clearing 31 others.

The BoA of the commerce ministry at its meeting gave formal clearance to RIL''s 440 hectare SEZ in Gurgaon and in-principle nod to its 2,850-hectare zone at Rewas in Maharashtra.

"Of the 44 proposals on the agenda, we have given formal approvals to 24 and in-principle to nine, while the rest were deferred," commerce secretary and BoA chairman Gopal K Pillai told reporters.

The Rewas SEZ is strategically important since it would be the last halt on the Railways'' Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor and is close to Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

According to officials, about 200 high-speed freight trains would run on the corridor, which will also link SEZs, industrial complexes and ports.

Infrastructure firm GMR received formal approval for its 101 hectare SEZ linked to the greenfield airport under construction in Hyderabad. With this multi-product zone, Hyderabad will become a cargo hub for airlines.

The Mayavati-led government in Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, asked the central government to defer three of the proposals referred by the previous Mulayam Singh government for a second time as the new regime wanted to review all SEZ proposed in the state.

Those deferred at the instance of Mayavati were IT SEZs of DLF, Falcon and Perfect in Noida. The state government had earlier withdrawn Anil Ambani group''s proposal for an SEZ in Noida.

Pillai said the BoA was awaiting views of Reliance promoters as well as the Maharashtra government on the Navi Mumbai SEZ.

The BoA also gave formal nod to a proposal by financial services and real estate firm IndiaBulls to set up a multi-product 1,214 hectare SEZ in Nasik, and in-principle clearance to its 2,429 multi-product zone in Thane.

Two gem and jewellery SEZs of Gitanjali Gems in Maharashtra were also cleared. Software giant Wipro''s 40-hectare IT SEZ in Hyderabad got formal approval.

State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu''s electronic hardware SEZ spread over 115 hectares also got formal approval.

An SEZ promoted by a municipality in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh also received approval. The VGTM Urban Development Authority proposes to set up a 16-hectare IT SEZ.

In all, 114 SEZs have been notified so far, while as many as 150 cases where land is available are pending before the BoA.