Rural Pune Farmers stage morcha against SEZ

Pune, May 21 (UNI) More than 400 farmers from Pune Rural, including Wagholi, Lonikanda, Kesnan and Bakhori, agitated against the proposed land acquisition for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for the Videocon Group and other industries at the District Collectorate here today.

Staging a morcha to draw attention to their demands, farmers of the area came together under one banner, 'Shetkari Bachao Kriti Samiti' led by ZP member Ramdas Dabhade and MLA Vilas Lande. He said they would not allow the government to take their land for SEZ purposes.''We will not give an inch, our lands cannot be taken by force'', they said. The farmers further threatened that if the government would go ahead with the acquisition, things would turn even worse than Nandigram here.

Supporting the farmers were stone quarry workers who wanted the land marked by the government for their rehabilitation. Adv Bastu Rege, Director 'Santulan' an NGO working for the rehabilitation of stone quarry workers told UNI that there were around 40-50 lakh stone quarry workers in the state and who did not have basics amenities proper educations for children housing and even voting rights as they were not registered anywhere.

Around 5000 acres of land in Pune Rural has been earmarked for SEZ for industries, of which nearly 75 per cent was to be allotted to the Videocon Group.

Earlier, during a demonstration at Wagholi last week, the District Collector had assured that no land would be taken by force and farmers would be compensated adequately for the land acquired.

UNI