Congress alleges indiscriminate land allotment for SEZs

Bangalore, Jun 26 (UNI) The Congress in Karnataka today threatened to launch an agitation soon to protest against indiscriminate acquisition of farmlands ostensibly for Industrial development, state Party Chief Mallikarjuna Kharge said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he alleged that the JD(S)-BJP coalition government was adopting 'anti-farmer' policies by identifying agrarian land for the purpose of setting up Special Economic Zone, more than the actual requirement.

He said a memorandum of Mumbai-based firm to allot land near Nandagudi revenue division for about 7200 hectares was rejected by Principal Secretary of Revenue Department A Jamdar.

However, it was cleared subsequently by the high-level committee chaired by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he said.

Alleging that the state government, with an intention to help realtors in and around the city, was acquiring farmlands in the name of SEZ, he said the Congress would not allow this to happen and launch an agitation against the government's move.

The party would constitute a fact finding committee comprising industrialists, Non-Government Organisation representatives and farmers representatives to prepare a report after collecting details about the land being allotted to set up SEZ in Nandagudi, he added.

UNI