States must certify SEZs are not on farm land: Nath

PTI | New Delhi

Putting all uncertainties to rest over the farmers land being snatched
away for setting up special economic zones the Commerce Ministry has
decided that the land will have to be certified by the State Governments.

State governments will have to certify that Special Economic Zones are
not being set up on agricultural land, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said.

Addressing the concerns of farmers at the Agriculture Summit, the
Commerce Minister said he has already written to all Chief Ministers to
ensure that prime agricultural land was not acquired for setting up SEZs.

"States will have to give certificate that SEZs are not on
well-irrigated farm land," he said.

Nath argued that the concerns raised over the past few weeks regarding
the acquisition of farm land was not limited to SEZs only.
"The question is not of SEZs, but of industrialisation. Industries
should come up on wasteland and not on good farm land so that it does
not affect our agriculture," he said.

Nath also said that Indian farmers should adopt modern technology to
increase productivity and tap the export market.The minister reiterated
that developed countries such as the US must reduce the huge subsidies
to their farmers so as to remove the distortions in world agriculture
trade. "Agriculture for us is not commerce, but livelihood. There will
be no compromise on food security," the Minister said.

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