Open to correct errors in SEZ policy: PM
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the government
would not hesitate to correct itself if it had erred in the Special
Economic Zone policy, which has drawn flak from certain quarters,
particularly on land acquisition.
"If we have made any mistake... we will make necessary corrections," he
said replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's
Address in Lok Sabha.
Advocating a more considerate approach to acquisition of land for
industrial purposes, he said the accent should be on "more humane
rehabilitation and resettlement policy" for those whose land has been
taken away.
The country has been debating the rationale of allowing farmlands to be
acquired for SEZs and industrial projects, especially in West Bengal,
where the Rs one lakh car project by Tata in Singur led to violent
protests by farmers.
Similar protests were also witnessed against another SEZ project in
Nandigram. Singh said a Group of Ministers headed by External Affairs
Minister Pranab Mukherjee was reviewing the approach to SEZs.
If industrialisation leads to loss of land, these concerns have to be
taken on board, the Prime Minister said, but underpinned the need for
aggressive industrialisation to ensure inclusive growth.
But growth cannot be allowed to fuel inflation, particularly when it
hurts the common man. "...in the process of growth if inflation becomes
a problem and that it brings agony and hardships for the poorer sections
of our society that also has to be dealt with on a priority basis",
Singh said.
posted by Sudarshan Rodriguez at 10:22 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home