CITU slams government's SEZ policy

SHILLONG: The Central government's policy on Special Economic Zones
(SEZ) in line with a Chinese model has led to land being given to
private promoters, CITU leader and MP Chittabrata Majumdar has said.

The promoters are trying to build real estate in these zones, Majumdar
said here while addressing a convention of the Meghalaya Joint Council
of Trade Unions and Associations (MJCTUA) on Monday.

He said China's example was being said to be emulated but in that
country, land is under government control. Private companies are given
land "on lease" and it is not sold to them.

In India, Majumdar said, private parties like Reliance are becoming
owners of land.

The government is trying to earn foreign exchange by creating SEZs but
it is not giving subsidies to farmers who find it difficult to sustain
their activities.

Majumdar said thanks to liberalisation and the WTO regime, Indian
markets were thrown open to foreign products and the country's farmers
are unable to compete.

The advent of imported products, reduction of subsidy and escalation of
price of agricultural inputs has led to farmers taking the extreme step
of ending their lives, he said.

In the WTO forum, a debate is on as developing countries are not allowed
to offer subsidies on agri-products as developed countries wanted to
sell their goods in those markets.

Majumdar called for a united protest by workers to make the government
see reason and change its policy.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India/CITU_slams_governments_SEZ_policy/articleshow/507868.cms