Stricter land norms for SEZs, says Kamal Nath

New Delhi, Oct 19 (UNI) Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today said that only waste and barren land, and if necessary only single crop agricultural land should be acquired for the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Faced with a harsh criticism from various quarters, the government has reviewed the land norms for the SEZs.

''If per force a portion of double-cropped agricultural land has to be acquired to meet the minimum area requirements, the same should not exceed 10 per cent of the total land required for the SEZs'', Mr Kamal Nath said in his valedictory addres at the Agriculture Summit 2006 here.

He said in the first 150 SEZs which wee given formal approval, the entire land was in the possession of the State Industrial Development Corporations or with the companies and not a single farmer has been displaced.

Mr Kamal Nath said government is working towards unshackling of controls and creating an atmosphere of trust and transparency in the agri sector. The export of agro and allied products, including plantations are of the order of Rs 3,600 crore. Export of these products witnessed a growth of 12.22 per cent in the first four years of the Tenth Five Year Plan.

The government is also sorking on the rejuvenation of the plantations crops like tobacco, rubber, speices, tea and coffee. An ambitious special purpose tea fund has been set up to completely revamp the sector. New export markets are being created for mangoes to Japan, tea to Pakistan, Egypt and Iran; meat to Egypt and fresh fruits to China.

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