Smooth land acquisition for SEZs: Pune sets an example

With nearly 44 SEZs at various stages of finalisation,Pune district has by far witnessed a smooth land acquisition process with rehabilitation packages being worked out amicably after discussions with landowners

With nearly 44 SEZs at various stages of finalisation,Pune district has by far witnessed a smooth land acquisition process with rehabilitation packages being worked out amicably after discussions with landowners. The coming year will see the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) complete the disbursement of Rs 460 crore to 3,761 farmers who had given up land for the pending Phase II of the Chakan Industrial zone project. The deadline for this is January 15. The district will also speed up the acquisition of 2000 hectares for the second phase of Bharat Forge-MIDC multi-product Special Economic Zone.

Joint director of industries Shekar Naik said that Pune has set an example for other parts of the state in this regard. The state has 144 SEZs of which 50 are in the formal stage,36 are in principle,while 58 are in the notified stage. A senior government officer from the Mantralaya said that 15 projects are in the third and final notified stage of implementation. These projects account for an aggregate investment mark of upto Rs 7,683 crore involving 488 hectares of land. With 15 SEZs in the final stage,Pune alone accounts for 25 per cent of SEZs in the state. The IT sector itself is projected to have an employment potential of over 45 lakh hands, said District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi.

Among those in the first category in Pune,Mahindra Realty Developers is looking at a multi-product SEZ in Karla; the remaining SEZs are in the engineering and IT sectors. The preliminary stage has investment proposals worth Rs 2,942 crores spread across 1,219 hectares in the district. The 25 SEZs in the district that are in the formal stage of implementation have projected an aggregate investment of Rs 38,739 crore spanning 2,133 hectares.

The Bharat Forge Khed SEZ is in the second stage of acquisition. Deputy Collector and land acquisition officer of the MIDC Gajanan Patil who has carried out the process smoothly said that eight more villages will be included in the second phase of acquisition. According to Patil,a proactive administration,a good rehabilitation package,an ideal social and political environment and a pro-development approach had enhanced land acquisitions in Pune.

However,even as the year saw acquisitions in the district speed up,the proposed Videocon SEZ in Wagholi was scrapped following farmers agitations. The project was in the preliminary stage of implementation. The much talked about Chakan Airport Project which will require acquisition of land from seven villages too has not started. The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has not got the proposed seed capital of Rs 200 crore to initiate the process. Besides,farmers in the area are also opposing the project led by Shirur MP Shivajiadhalrao Patil.

Suniti SR,executive committee member of National Allied of Peoples Movement,an anti-SEZ organisation said that these kind of large-scale acquisitions will only impact food security. With major chunks of agricultural land being taken up for industries,the agricultral imports will have to increase. Moreover,even if a rehabilitation package is offered,it does not help in the long run as the farmers have to take up odd jobs to fend for themselves, she said.

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