Citizens’ Research Collective on SEZ

Pune January 7, 2008: The state government is planning a new rehabilitation policy for the farmers whose lands are acquired for industrial developments schemes including special economic zones (SEZs). The policy is expected to be declared in February after getting cabinet nod, said Ashok Chavan, state minister for industries and mining, on Saturday at the 25th anniversary of Mitcon, a government-owned consultancy firm.

The state has been acquiring land for industries through MIDC but it generally receives strong resistence from the farmers, who are not happy with the package offered to them.

Earlier, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had also accepted that farmers resist land acquisition and said that the new policy would be declared by January. The earlier package offered one-time payment to the farmers which got poor response from the farmers. Later government officials hinted at the proposed new policy that would offer long-term benefits to the farmers.

Refusing to disclose details of the proposed policy, Chavan said, “As the proposed draft of the new rehabilitation policy is yet to be approved by the state cabinet, I will not comment now. But the government has considered all the issues associated with it. Though there is resistance from the farmers for land acquisition, it can not be compared with either Goa or Nandigram. Every state has its own issues.”

Chavan said that Maharashtra especially Pune is getting preference from industrialists. Mumbai is like a magnet and as Pune is close to it, companies are setting up their business here. There is heavy pressure on infrastructure too. Considering all these issues, the government will take care of the farmers’ problems in the new policy, Chavan said.

Chavan also stressed on industrialisation of other parts of the states such as Vidarbha, Marathwada excluding Aurangabad and parts of Konkan.

He said, “The government has declared various policies and incentives for the industries to set up their projects in the less industrialised areas. Aurangabad, Nagpur, Sangli and Kolhapur are the emerging areas in the state.”

Source: The Times of India