SEZ issue: Surjewala to protect farmers' interests

Chandigarh, May 24: All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress chairman Shamsher Singh Surjewala today urged the Centre to ensure a comprehensive resettlement and rehabilitation package for farmers while formulating the new Land Acquisition Act.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr Surjewala said the agricultural land should not be allowed to be permanently transferred from the original owner to anybody else for creating Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or other infrastructure.

He said a rehabilitation package must form a part of the proposed land acquision creating a lien of the original land owner in the project in order to make him a stakeholder.

The rehabilitation package, he said, must also cover agriculture labour dependent upon the acquired land for their livelihood. ''Any compensatory package must include a share for the farm labourers.'' Mr Surjewala said the relief and rehabilitation package must include provision for alternative settlement of the displaced families containing residential houses with basic civic amenities for all displaced families.

He also demanded a provision for educational facilities and and technical training for the members of the displaced families.

He said in case the land was acquired for a factory, residential locality or other similar project, the displaced family must become a stakeholder in the project.

Mr Surjewala said he had written a letter to Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in this regard recently.

UNI

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