Centre, State urged to drop move on SEZ

DH News Service Gulbarga:

The State Vice-President of JD(U) Basvaraj Ingin, who is also the
Working President of Tur dal Growers Association, has appealed to both
the Centre as well as the State government to drop the move to set up
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in various parts of the country as
precious agriculture land is being acquired for the purpose.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Mr Ingin said already the Centre
has accorded approval for 200 SEZs and applications for 600 more SEZs
are pending before it. “It is estimated that if approval is accorded for
all these SEZs, 15 crore people would be deprived of foodgrains due to
shortage ”, he added.

Mr Ingin regretted that the SEZs have been converted into real estate
centres. “We are not against industrialisation or any employment
generation activity. But why the precious agriculture land is being used
for the purpose? Moreover only 25 per cent of the land acquired would be
used for SEZs; the remaining is used for setting up quarters, swimming
pool etc. In the name of SEZ, real estate business is going on”, he
charged.

Mr Ingin also saw a conspiracy behind the move to acquire agriculture
land in the name of SEZs. He ridiculed the statement that one of the
family members of the farmers from whom land is acquired would be given
employment. “They want to convert us into refugees by depriving us of
our land. Instead of acquiring our land permanently for a pittance, they
should take it on lease from farmers and the profit earned should be
distributed to them”, he demanded.
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