Forward Bloc opposes SEZ in India

Midnapur, Mar 13 (UNI) All India Forward Bloc general secretary Debobrata Biswas (MP) today said his party was against setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the country.

Addressing a news conference here, he said the proposed SEZs would help foreign multinationals to set up their colonies again and threaten the country's sovereignty.

''We, the four Left Front parties, met in New Delhi last December, where CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat was present, and prepared 19 press notes regarding SEZs and submitted them to UPA Government in Delhi, pressing for not setting up SEZs in any part of the country'' he said. ''We have not yet get any reply from Manmohan Singh Government, regarding this,'' he added.

Mr Biswas claimed that if SEZs were set up, then there will be ''no freedom or no control of civil administration.'' Citing an example, he said, that in Jamshedpur, the Tata group has created its own administration and there is no social security for the workers there.'' ''I told State Industry Minister Nirupam Sen to visit the area before taking any decision on setting up SEZs in West Bengal,'' Mr Biswas said. ''My party believes that multi-national companies were trying to loot ''our economy in the name of setting SEZs,'' he added.

Mr Biswas also criticised some Left minded parties, Trinamool Congress, and the Congress, stating that their ''opportunistie politics are promoting vested interests.'' ''We will not allow any industry in agricultural land, rather we support setting up industries in wasteland in West Bengal,'' he said.

Without naming anyone, he said that some Left parties, who earlier fought for the farmers against Zamindars, were now capturing the lands from their possession.

UNI