The SEZ story: Rehab is back in spotlight
Pay compensation first, land acquisition can wait. That’s the policy Maharashtra rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam would like the state government to follow vis-à-vis its special economic zones.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: Pay compensation first, land acquisition can wait. That’s the policy Maharashtra rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam would like the state government to follow vis-à-vis its special economic zones.
Mr Kadam, who had recently voiced his concern over rampant land acquisition in the state, on Thursday said he wanted a compensation package in place for the people who would get affected by such schemes. The minister said he had always stuck to this stand at state Cabinet meetings as rehabilitation minister and chairperson of the rehabilitation committee on SEZs.
“This has been misconstrued as a face-off with the revenue ministry, and revenue minister Narayan Rane, in particular,” Mr Kadam sought to clarify. According to Mr Kadam, 71 SEZs have been approved so far by the Centre’s Board of Approval which propose to cover around 38,800 hectares.
Of these, 45 are proposed to be developed by private developers spread over 8,153 hectares which the developers are already in possession of, Mr Kadam said. The issue of land acquisition or rehabilitation does not arise for these 45 SEZs. Government agencies like the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and the Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) have proposed 19 SEZs covering 9,045 hectares.
The state government, through its agencies like the MIDC, is facilitating land acquisition for seven SEZs on 19,492 hectares to which the compensation applies, Mr Kadam said. He insisted that the Rehabilitation Act, 1999 of the state government be made applicable to these SEZs before issuing notices. In addition, he wants an updated rehabilitation policy to be extended to the project-affected people.
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Interestingly enough, Opposition BJP on Thursday took a similar stand on SEZs in Maharashtra in general, and the Maha Mumbai SEZ proposed to be developed by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Group on 10,000 hectares in Raigad district in particular. The BJP alleged that the state government had been acquiring land on behalf of the developer for the past five months without putting in place a proper compensation and rehabilitation policy.“Thousands of acres of land belonging to farmers are being forcibly acquired by the state government on behalf of the developer when no price for the land, compensation package, and rehabilitation policy has been fixed,” former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said.
In response to a right to information application filed by Mr Somaiya, the revenue department has admitted that Raigad district collector had indeed initiated land acquisition process for the Maha Mumbai SEZ. The industry department maintained that the government, following a request by the Reliance Group, is acting as a facilitator for development of this SEZ and has issued land notices.
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