Nandigram has a direct opposite in Pune

KG NARENDRANATH

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2007 01:17:48 AM]

NEW DELHI: Killings in Nandigram, attributed to "forced land
acquisition" by the state for special economic zones (SEZs), have an
antithesis in Maharashtra. The state government could overcome the
apprehensions among farmers over a multi-product SEZ proposed to be
developed by Bharat Forge near Pune. The land for the proposed SEZ,
which expects Rs 10,000 crore investment, has almost been acquired as
farmers who initially opposed the project have now become its enthusiasts.

Unlike the West Bengal government which sent ripples down the spine of a
section of farmers (this opened room for unfair political plays by the
disingenuous Opposition) by notifying SEZ before lands were assembled,
the Maharashtra government had shown more patience and pragmatism
through which it could convince farmers that SEZ could only improve
their living conditions.

The result: as opposed to the initial plan to acquire 1,400 hectares of
land, the state ended up taking possession of 1,900 hectares for the
zone. The farmers' representatives, during discussions with the state
and the developer, had suggested that a larger area of arid land be
acquired for the economic project instead of a smaller area of
cultivable land.

These lands were then made available by the farmers' organisations
themselves who could convince the owners to transfer their ownership
rights to the state for reasonable compensation. The norm that the state
followed was to settle the price with the land owners before SEZ is
notified.

To win the support of the people in the area for SEZ, the state also
offered them employment guarantee for a section of the population whose
land changed hands. Already, scores of youth in the region are being
trained in two ITIs in the region to make them employable in SEZ. With
the farmers' consent, the state is now confident of notifying SEZ in
June, according to official sources.

A commerce ministry official told ET that 63 SEZs notified in the last
one year already generated investment of Rs 13,435 crore and created
18,457 new jobs. As these SEZs become fully operational in the next two
years, they would have attracted investment of Rs 58,000 crore and
created 15 lakh new jobs. This is as against 19 SEZs which created 1
lakh jobs with an investment of Rs 3,613 crore until 2006, the official
noted.

Of the 171 SEZ applicants who have land ready, cases of 52 have already
been vetted by the law ministry and ready to be notified, absence of
political nod being the only stumbling block. If all the 234 SEZ
proposals, including those which are yet to get the land, become
operational, the total investment in them would be over Rs 1.3 lakh
crore with new jobs of 40 lakh in the next four years, according to the
commerce ministry's estimate.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Infrastructure/Nandigram_has_a_direct_opposite_in_Pune/articleshow/1781034.cms