SEZ: 558 hectares out of acquisition,package talks soon

“The 558-hectare land is irrigated and hence deleted from the upcoming SEZ. These tracts of land will be returned to farmers one we receive the notice from the government,” sub-divisional officer Khed Kiran Mahajan said.

District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi will conduct the second round of talks with farmers about the compensation package for the second phase. “It will be done in 15 days.”

While 200 hectares of the proposed acquisition belong to the government,the remaining area has been acquired from the villagers. A meeting on environmental concerns was held last month. “With the acquisition for the project over,the deletion of irrigated land will be done and the compensation package decided,” said a senior MIDC officer. He said there was no opposition to the acquisition.

Farmers are,however,hopeful of getting a better compensation than that for the first phase. “Villagers are demanding compensation higher than that of phase-I,where we disbursed Rs 17 lakh per hectare. Two years have passed since,” said another district official who took part in the preliminary talks.

The SEZ,a 76:24 joint venture between Bharat Forge and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC),spans 17 villages in the district.

The rehabilitation and settlement of the first phase were completed last year and it is being showcased as an ideal package by the authorities. The third phase will see an acquisition of 3,900 hectares in six villages.

EARLIER DEAL

* VILLAGERS of Nimgaon,Dhavadi,Kendur and Kanersar had given up land,for which the MIDC worked out a package

* SOPS included employment to one from every project-affected family and a buyback option of up to 15 per cent of developed land on payment of original cost and an additional 50 per cent

* THOSE who lost houses got 375 sq ft of built-up area in a new colony and Rs 10,000 for shifting

* LANDLESS labourers got wages of Rs 65 per person per family for 600 days