Congress urges PM to review Nandagudi SEZ approval

Bangalore, July 14 (UNI) Opposition leader in the Karnataka Legislative Council, and senior Congress leader H K Patil has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the sanction accorded by the SEZ Board of Approval to the Nandagudi Special Economic Zone proposal, secured by Real Estate Developers in the state.

In a three-page letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Patil alleged that the State Government had been facilitating the land developers, in the name of industries and development, to acquire fertile land from farmers.

Referring to approval for the Nandagudi SEZ proposal Mr Patil said acquisition of 4,745 acres of Government land and 10,000 acres of agricultural land from the farmers would create social and environmental problems in Bangalore.

Pointing out that in the name of industrialisation and development, the State had notified over 1,19,561 acres in and around the city for the past 17 months, he alleged that it was aimed only to promote a few real estate business. He said the state had recommended Nandagudi SEZ despite apprehensions expressed by its own agencies and departments including Revenue and Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Mr Patil urged Dr Singh to set up a committee to study the impact of SEZs on the environment and society in Bangalore.

UNI