CMs for restrictions on developing SEZs

Nainital, Sep 23: Most of the Congress Chief Ministers at their two-day conclave here today favoured imposition of certain restrictions and conditions for those coming forward to develop Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

The Chief Ministers agreed with Congress President Sonia Gandhi's views expressed earlier in the day that certain precautions should be taken before acquisition of land from the farmers for the purpose.

If their land was acquired in the manner it was being done, it would reduce the productivity of farmers, the Chief Ministers felt, AICC General Secretary Janaradan Dwivedi told reporters.

Ms Gandhi had in her inaugural address said that prime agricultural land should not be diverted to non-agricultural uses.

The acquisition of land must be done without jeopardising agricultural prospects.Farmers must get proper compensation for the land and possibilities explored for making the farmers stakeholders in the project that come up on the land acquired.

Summing up the deliberations in the CMs' Conclave, Mr Dwivedi said the interactions centred on agriculture only. The other issue of internal security would be taken up tomorrow. Till 1700hrs eight Chief Ministers had made their presentations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar interacted with the Chief Ministers.

The interactions were based on the opening remarks made by the Congress President and the Prime Minister on agriculture, Mr Dwivedi said.

The Chief Ministers said farmers had a hard time getting loans from commercial banks and cooperative banks and were dealt with harshly during recovery of loans unlike the treatment given to industrialists "because farmers were supposed to be soft targets."

UNI

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