Citizens’ Research Collective on SEZ

New Delhi, January 4, 2008: With the spectre of Nandigram haunting the states toying with setting up SEZs, Goa on Thursday beat a retreat forcing the Centre to hold back the three projects already approved by the commerce ministry.

Though the edition of people’s war in the tiny coastal state still does not have a blood trail, the ‘aam aadmi’ has decisively won. The Centre promised not to push the SEZ projects down the throat of Goa in the wake of surging popular protests.

During a meeting with state chief minister Digamber Kamat in the evening, Union commerce minister Kamal Nath agreed not to persist with the three SEZ projects already approved by his ministry. Nath thus overruled his officials who had earlier claimed that the already approved projects could not be denotified.

“We cannot thrust the SEZs on the state,” Nath reportedly said taking note of the state government’s strong opposition and widespread agitation against the projects. Talking to reporters later at the Congress headquarters, Kamat said that he was going to write formally to Nath for cancellation of the projects.

“We have to respect the popular sentiments, we cannot go against the people,” he said in the presence of party general secretary in-charge of Goa, B K Hariprasad. Disowning responsibility for the original proposals, the CM said that the previous regime had sought clearance from the Centre for 15 projects altogether.

Kamat said that people had begun opposing the SEZs since the projects were unlikely to generate jobs. The other factor contributing to the protests against the SEZs is land scarcity in the tiny coastal state.

A popular tourist destination, Goa was treated to unusual angry protests in the week before the year-end over the SEZ issue.

Questioning the viability of the SEZs, Kamat said, “Why should we endanger our state?” He made it clear that Congress would not risk going against the popular mood at a time it had suffered reverses in a number of states. Kamat said his party’s impressive victory in a recent parliamentary by-election in south Goa was an indicator of continuing popular support for it.

Source: Times of India