PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday said in the Legislative Assembly that the government stood firm on the decision to scrap special economic zones (SEZs). Replying to a debate on demand for grants for industries, trade and commerce, he assured the members that the government would engage top lawyers to defend it in the cases filed against its decision to scrap SEZs. Mr. Kamat said that the Centre did have the powers to denotify SEZs, going by what he was told by Commerce Minister Kamal Nath. Replying to the issues raised by the Opposition members, he said that Mr. Kamal Nath had told him that the SEZ projects should be completed within a particular timeframe or else the Centre had the power to denotify them.