Learn from Gujarat: Chiranjeevi tells Andhra

J Geeta Reddy, Major Industries minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, had on Saturday, criticised the actor and suggested that he should first visit West Bengal to study the SEZ policy. In Gujarat, industrialists directly purchase land from farmers for setting up SEZ, while the state government develops the required infrastructure, Chiranjeevi said.

8220;It8217;s a peculiar situation in Andhra Pradesh where the government acts as a broker and acquires land for rich industrialists at the cost of poor farmers,8221; he alleged.

The SEZ Act clearly states that farmers, whose land is acquired for setting up trade zones, should be made stake-holders in the respective projects. 8220;The onus is on the govt to ensure that affected farmers get their due. It cannot acquire land at throwaway prices from farmers and sell it at exorbitant rates to industrialists. It should share the profit with the farmers,8221; Chiranjeevi said.