'SEZs have become money making instruments' : Chandrababu

New Delhi, Mar 31 (UNI) Alleging that Special Economic Zone (SEZ) had become a 'money making instrument' in the hands of Congress churn out money at the national level, Telugu Desam chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today asked the Centre to come out with an SEZ policy with particular embhasis an the rehabilitation of farmers.

The TDP Chief who here on a visit, told newspersons that the past experience on SEZ in Andhra Pradesh as well at as the national level had shown that SEZs were a 'big farce'. He said Congressmen who had inkling about the project coming up were dispossessing the farmers of their lands using the power to acquire lands for public purposes and most of them were for real estate purposes.

He said even though there were exclusive Information Technology facilities in A P, an SEZ was coming up near Hyderabad to accommodate IT companies and half of it for residential purposes, hotels and malls. Ruling party men, he alleged cornered fertile lands of farmers paying them pittance of the market price.

He was wondered is it the policy to acquire fertile lands to make way for industry at a time when the country was importing foodgrains.

UNI