CPI(ML)L, AIALA plans stir against SEZ

Kakinada, Jan 24 (UNI) The CPI (ML) Liberation and All India Agriculture Labourers' Association (AIALA) will launch a nation-wide stir against Special Economic Zone (SEZ), demanding scrapping of the SEZ Act.

Talking to the press here, AIALA President Rameswar Prasad and General Secretary Dhirendra Kumar Jha said state-level dharnas would be organised on February 23 and Mandal bandhs on February 25.

They said ''SEZ does not help industrial development, but promote real estate business.'' Stating that they were not against industrialisation, they said major industries like steel plant at Visakhapatnam, were generating more employment opportunities than IT-oriented industries at SEZ.

Acquisition of lands for SEZ would end up in food scarcity as farm lands were aquired for the purpose, they said adding the Kakinada SEZ had brought deprived poor peasants in several villages in U Kothapalli and Thondangi mandals of their lands.

Alleging that State and Central governments were adopting coercive tactics against farmers to take over fertile lands, they vowed to protect farmers' rights and back the peasants' movement against SEZ.

UNI XR/BR RL VC2016