JD(U)for scrapping SEZ, holding all-party meet on issue

New Delhi, Jan 10:The Janata Dal (United) today flayed the government for ''ruining farmers and destroying the country's food security'' by approving Special Economic Zones on fertile land and demanded that the sanction given for 449 SEZs be scrapped and multinational companies barred from the retail sector.

JD(U) President Sharad Yadav demanded that an all party meeting be held on the issue of SEZs and opening of the retail sector to multinational companies as these issues affected the food security of the country and adversly impacted employment opportunities in the agriculture and retail sectors.

Asserting that a ''SEZ scam'' was going on in the country, he demanded amendment of the Land Acquisition Act which gave wide powers to the government to acquire agricultural land. The land should be acquired for metro construction, roads, hospitals etc and not for activities like SEZs, he said and added that lakhs of acres of land, lying with sick industries, and waste and infertile land should be used for setting up new industries.

Mr Yadav told reporters here that though both UPA president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that no agriculture land would be acquired for the creation of SEZ, Dr Singh was talking of a package for the rehabilitation of farmers affected by SEZ.

''It only proves that the government intends to allow permission of SEZ on fertile agricultural land and in this process millions of farmers will be displaced and affected. Thier future will be ruined.

Food security of the nation will be destroyed which will ultimately lead India to compromise its sovereignty,'' he said.

Mr Yadav said that either the government was ignoring the direction of the UPA chairperson or she was not sincere about her statement on agricultural land and SEZ. It seems that the Congress is only misleading the people over SEZ as far as fertile agricultural land is concerned. He also demanded that the power of sanctioning SEZ be taken away from the Commerce Ministry as the matter not only concerns exports and FDI but also affects food security, economy, traditional industries etc.

Pointing out that the BJP and the CPI has opposed SEZ creation on agricutural land and the CPI(M) had adopted a dual policy on the matter in West Bengal and outside that state, he said an all party meeting on the issue would clear the situation. This was important as the agriculture and retail sectors provide employment opportunities to the maximum number of people in the country.

UNI