Citizens’ Research Collective on SEZ

Laxmi Ajai Prasanna

T’Puram, October 9, 2007: The State Government is unlikely to approve further proposals for developing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Kerala, till the government enacts the Land Use Policy. Experts hail this decision as apt to save the state from indiscriminate land acquisition by real estate sharks.

Meanwhile, with the 19th meeting of the SEZs Board of Approval (BoA) of the Union Commerce Ministry set for October 19, industrialists here contend that if the state fails to approve the pending SEZ proposals then it cannot be forwarded to the BoA for clearance.

They say that it would leave the state far behind the other states which had developed SEZs for large scale investment and jobs.

Setting aside the speculation of industrialists, State Planning Board vice-chairman Prabhat Patnaik told ‘Express’ that the idea of developing more SEZs in Kerala was absurd given the land-man ratio in the state is acutely low. In terms of the land area, population density, bio-diversity and bounteous natural resources, Kerala cannot be compared to the other states and sensibly the State Government cannot run around for setting up SEZs.

Already there are 11 SEZs in the state. Of that the first one, the Cochin SEZ alone has an integrated water management system which according to its record comprises a water supply system of 1.5 million litres per day. More number of SEZs will lead to exploitation of land including agricultural land, ground water exploitation and displacement of people.

As Prabhat Patnaik puts it, the concept of SEZs in a neo-liberal economy is untenable with one set of producers discriminated against another in the country with tax and duty concessions on the lines of the colonial rule.

In the absence of a land use policy, it is free for all to acquire land and there is no coordination between agricultural development, water resources development, forest, wildlife and environmental conservation.

Till now, no state in India has an approved Land Use Policy. Though Kerala had prepared a draft Land Use Policy about seven years back, it is yet to be updated and enacted by the government.

Source: NewIndPress.com