Haryana to pay royality for land acquired for SEZs

Rohtak, Nov 18 (UNI) In a significant decision the Haryana government today announced that in case the government acquires agrciultural for setting up Special Economic Zones(SEZs), the 'affected' farmers would be given a royality of Rs 30,000 per year per acre for a period of 33 years.

In addition to this amount, which would be considered as award money for the acquired land, there would be an increase of Rs 1000 per year per acre in this royality.

This announcement was made by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of sugar mill to be constructed at a cost of Rs 180 crore at Bhali village in the district today.

He also announced that the employees of the Sugarfed would get the benefit of dearness allowance by merging 50 per cent of it in the basic pay on the pattern of state government employees with effect from November one, this year.

Mr Hooda's announcement that the new sugarmill would start crushing from Novemer one next year was applauded by the responsive crowd.

The Chief Minister said that initially the cane crushing capacity of the suga rmill would be 35,000 quintals per day but it would be increased to 50,000 quintals per day with the increase in area under sugarcane cultivation.

He said that the new sugarmill would produce export quality sugar which would have negligible quantity of sulphur. He said that a power generation plant would also be set up in the complex of the sugar mill which will generate 16 MW of electricity. It would supply power to the surrounding villages.

Mr Hooda said that government had taken a number of decisions to bring the cooperative sugarmills out of red. It was decided to convert the loans of the mills into their share capital. This decision also included reduction in the rate of interest.

He said that directions had been issued to prepare a comprehensive incentive oriented plan for the staff of the sugar mills. He said that the implementation of the plan would not only increase the efficiency of the mill employees but also add to their income.

He said that Haryana was giving the highest sugarcane price and the farmers' had been paid all their dues by the mills. He said that all the cooperative sugar mills had purchased the sugarcane at a cost of Rs 486 crore during the last crushing season.

He assured the farmers they would be given adequate power for sowing their crops even though the state had to purchase the power at a higher rate of Rs 8 per unit.

Later, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Zila Parishad building to be constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

He also inaugrated the Tehsil bhawan building at Kalanaur.

UNI