New Delhi, June 2: The government today allowed DLF to withdraw from four special economic zones, including one at Rajarhat in Calcutta, provided the realty major returns all tax sops.

“The Board of Approval has given in-principle approval to DLF to withdraw from four SEZs — in West Bengal, Gujarat, Orissa and Haryana — if they return all the tax sops taken from the Centre,” a senior commerce ministry official said.

“DLF will be giving back all the duties, if any, and the department of revenue, customs (authorities) and development commissioners would ensure that the duties have been refunded,” the official said. SEZs enjoy a slew of tax sops under the law.

Sources in DLF said they had not availed themselves of any tax sops for the four SEZs.

According to official data, the land banks of DLF’s four notified SEZs are: 10.12 hectares in Gandhinagar, 10.24 hectares in Sonepat, 10.23 hectares in Bhubaneswar and 10.48 hectares in Calcutta.

Real estate firms are facing a cash crunch because of the recession. On May 13, DLF promoters sold close to a 10 per cent stake in the company to raise Rs 3,860 crore for clearing its debt.

The government today approved 10 SEZs and allowed one-year extensions to four projects, including Reliance Industries’ Mukesh Ambani-promoted Rewas Ports, for land acquisition.

The board under the commerce ministry gave formal approvals to eight proposals, including those of Gulf Oil Corporation, Emmar MGF and Larsen and Toubro. Two other proposals were also given “in-principle” approvals.

Four developers, including Ambani-promoted Rewas Ports in Maharashtra and the K Raheja group, have been allowed extension of in-principle approval by one year. These projects have not been able to acquire the required land.

Since 2006, when the SEZ act was notified, formal approvals have been granted to 568 SEZs, of which 315 have been notified. Exports from SEZs grew 36 per cent to Rs 90,416 crore in 2008-09 from Rs 66,638 crore in the previous fiscal.