Smruti Koppikar

The first SEZ to be set up and run by farmers is unique in many ways:

* The venture at Avasari Khurd village, 40 km off Pune, will have 1,500 farmers as its stakeholders
* Locals have put up little resistance
* A core team of farmers and professionals will manage operations
* Villagers will have the first right to developed land should they wish to start an industry unit
* The multi-product SEZ is spread over 3,557 acres. The project is expected to come up in three years.
* It will have residential complexes and malls. Will house automobile, engineering, IT, biotech and agri units. (more…)

Bone of contention or economy booster, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are seemingly here to stay. While Andhra Pradesh tops the SEZ race among southern states with 26 SEZs, Tamil Nadu (15) and Karnataka (14) are quite far behind. Hosur is now being seen as the better alternative to a jam-packed Bangalore, reports Bindu Gopal Rao. (more…)

Mumbai, January 31, 2008: India’s first SEZ (special economic zone) in the cooperative sector, worth Rs 930 crore, will be set up in Girner village near Aurangabad in the backward Marathwada region following the lead taken by a 62-year-old civil engineer-turned-farmer, Mohan Raut. (more…)

Anantapur, January 31, 2008: The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial estates were throwing the lives of farmers who were losing out their lands for the purpose on to the roads within a short period after they were alienated with land, ‘Padmashri’ awardee and a campaigner against SEZs Anil Praksh Joshi of Uttaranchal said here on Wednesday. (more…)