Maharashtra tops SEZ chart

The State Industries Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said the government has formally cleared 105 special economic zones in Maharashtra, out of the 400 SEZs in the country.

Although Chavan’s claim was quickly followed by an emphatic rubbishing of protests against SEZs, arguing they were limited only to Raigad and Pune, he refused to get drawn into the controversy.

According to Chavan, “Our policies on SEZs conform to the Central guidelines, which emphasise on proper rehabilitation package and adequate compensation to farmers.”

Notwithstanding, a three-member committee report of the State Congress against violation of laws by private players in land acquisition, the Group of Ministers (GoM) in Delhi cleared the Mukesh Ambani multi-product SEZ in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

Chavan termed the apprehensions raised in Maharashtra over the Raigad SEZ going the Nandigram (West Bengal) way baseless.

“One can understand the agitation over SEZs in Varanasi and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. But the ground realities and spate of development in Maharashtra cannot be equated with problems in other States. We have always been the leader in industry.”

Going a step further Chavan said, “One of the issues raised during the chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s ten-day visit to United States was related to SEZs.

We reassured them that transfer of land title was always smooth and hurdle free in our State.” The government, which has developed industrial zones — Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporations (MIDCs) — was also attracting private players for setting up SEZs, he added.

The Industry Department’s decision to promote SEZs conforms to the policy decision taken by the Centre. But officials in the Industry Department maintained that unlike other States, Maharashtra was the first to evolve guidelines for giving a rehabilitation package to affected farmers.

Earlier, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Prabha Rau submitted a report on SEZ to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh listing out the dos and don’ts. The report highlighted the inaction on the part of the Revenue Ministry against illegal acquisition of agriculture land.

Sanjay Nirupam, who was in the SEZ Congress committee said, “If the Centre and State decide to clear the SEZ projects, we have nothing to object. Our chief concern is the government should not allow acquisition of fertile land forcibly from farmers.

People are up in arms, in Raigad because they are being coerced into selling fertile land at lower rates.”

“We have recommended to the government to ask private sectors to set up SEZs on barren land in Vidarbha or Marathwada. Agriculture land has reduced and is affecting agriculture produce,” added Nirupam.